Bears interim coach says there was ‘no confusion’ in timeout-wasting sequence: ‘I just changed my mind’

The Chicago Bears’ 6-3 defeat by the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday was sealed with a Caleb Williams interception, but there was one sequence earlier in the drive that showed the team to be well and truly lost.

With 5:12 left in the game, the Bears got the ball back and had a chance to either tie the game or take the lead. They could also afford a three-and-out, as they had all three of their timeouts left. The worst thing that could have happened was the drive eating multiple minutes off the clock without gaining many yards.

As anyone familiar with the Bears this season could predict, that last scenario was the one that came true.

After a run up the middle gave Chicago a first down with 4:17 left. Williams scrambled to make it 2nd-and-2, and then the wheels fell off. A pass to Keenan Allen and another Williams scrambled gained only one yard, while eating more than a minute off the clock. Now down to 2:12 left, the Bears were faced with a 4th-and-inches on their own 38-yard line.

Chicago elected to go for it, but a false start by right guard Jake Curhan made it a 4th-and-5. So interim head coach Thomas Brown elected to send out the punt team. And then call his first timeout of the half. And then send the offense back out.

Fortunately, Williams delivered with a great play, perhaps his best of the game, with a running throw to a covered D.J. Moore, but the final tally for the Bears over the previous two plays was two minutes and three seconds, a vital timeout and negative four yards. The time between third and fourth down alone cost them a full 40 seconds.

The result of that fourth-down play was a continued drive for the Bears, as well as a commitment. They were still in their own territory, with 2:05 remaining.

Even by Bears standards, that loss to the Seahawks was a frustrating one. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Incredibly, that wasn’t even the only wasted timeout of the drive, as the Bears lined up for 2nd-and-10 once they were finally in Seattle territory and…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-interim-coach-says-there-was-no-confusion-in-timeout-wasting-sequence-i-just-changed-my-mind-054017061.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-12-27 05:40:00

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