Tyrique Stevenson learned a hard lesson Sunday night.
The Washington Commanders stunned the Chicago Bears, converting a Hail Mary on the game’s final play to pull out a dramatic 18-15 victory. The game featured a highly-anticipated matchup between Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft, and Jayden Daniels, the player picked right after him.
But just when it looked like Williams was going to emerge victorious in that matchup, Daniels launched a pass towards the end zone that Stevenson managed to tip into the air, and into the waiting arms of Washington’s Noah Brown for the game-winning score.
After the game, footage emerged of the final play that showed Stevenson jawing with Commanders fans as the play began, being directed by a small group of Bears fans that the final play had begun, and reacting late to the cluster of bodies near the goal line before tipping the throw into Brown’s arms:
Almost immediately, the breakdown of the play — and the memes — followed.
ESPN analyst Benjamin Solak broke down the video, noting that Stevenson was responsible for Brown in coverage but got a late break because he was jawing with Commanders fans until well after the snap:
WAIT WAIT WAIT LOL
Tyrique Stevenson (29) is supposed to be following Noah Brown (85) the whole way
But he never gets connected to him, in part because he was smack talking with Commanders fans the whole time? pic.twitter.com/F1sbCQ8Bds
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) October 28, 2024
The All-22 angle of the play highlighted just how long the taunting from Stevenson went on, and how late he broke on the play:
The videos yesterday didn’t really convey to me just how long Tyrique Stevenson’s taunting went on. He didn’t make a game-like move until the receivers were inside the 20! pic.twitter.com/5pnj9v0W2H
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) October 28, 2024
As noted here, Bears fans had to let Stevenson know that the ball had been snapped:
His Wikipedia page was immediately edited to include this paragraph, a true sign of a monumental event in the digital age:
Many users on social media wondered just how bad it was going to be for Stevenson in the film room Monday morning:
Former Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III noted that “karma” comes to you on the football field:
OMG. While the Hail Mary play was going on Chicago Bears DB Tyrique Stevenson was taunting the crowd and celebrating a victory. He then proceeded to have the ball bounce off his hand and into Noah Brown’s hands for the game winning TD. Talk about karma pic.twitter.com/WgxiiA6dzI
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) October 28, 2024
The play even got the College Football 25 treatment:
After the game, Stevenson apologized for his “lack of awareness and focus,” and vowed that “improvement will happen” in a post on social media:
To Chicago and teammates my apologies for lack of awareness and focus …. The game ain’t over until zeros hit the clock. Can’t take anything for granted. Notes taken, improvement will happen. #Beardown
— Tyrique Stevenson (@dreamchaserTy10) October 28, 2024
Lesson learned, the hard way.
