LAKE FOREST, IL. – The evening following the Chicago Bears’ loss to the Washington Commanders was going to be a maze.

How does a team handle a Hail Mary loss to a team they should have beaten on the road? How does the fan base find its way there?

Many pointed the finger at Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson for his actions during the Hail Mary play. Over the next week, every part of the Bears team responded.

From Stevenson, who issued an apology and was benched for the first two series of last Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals, to the coaching staff who also took on multiple responsibilities.

“I’m his coach and I’m the one in charge,” Bears defensive back coach Jon Hoke said Thursday. “Obviously, I’m the one who has to make sure he’s focused, focused and all that kind of stuff. So, for me, I take responsibility for that, because he’s my player.”

Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said last week that “it starts with me,” which was another level in all of this.

Given what happened against the Cardinals, the series of events has truly been put to rest.

“I just know Tyrique’s attitude last week during the game was outstanding,” Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington said. “Once we left the field on that first series, he was the first one to put up numbers encouraging and congratulating his teammates.”

Stevenson was covering Marvin Harrison Jr. and Kyler Murray targeted the rookie in the first half. Harrison caught the pass, but Stevenson stripped him of the ball as he went to the ground.

“When he got into the ballgame, he made a heck of a play taking the ball away from the intended receiver,” Washington said.

Stevenson needed a game like Sunday to move on.

He made seven total tackles and was credited with two assists. It was a game the Bears expected from the second-year Miami player who earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors in Week 1.

“He did a good job in practice yesterday,” Washington said. “He’ll be ready to go.”

Washington did not say whether Stevenson would return to the starting lineup this week. This is up to Eberflus, and Eberflus has made it clear that these decisions will be made internally until match time.

This might seem to be emphasizing the point. Yet, if this Hail Mary play had gone the Bears’ way, they would currently be 5-3 instead of 4-4.

It was a moment where everyone looked inward to make sure this never happened to the Bears again.

“I need to make sure I coach him better, make sure he does what he needs to do,” Hoke said.

LANDOVER, MARYLAND – OCTOBER 27: Head coach Matt Eberflus of the Chicago Bears gestures during the third quarter against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium on October 27, 2024 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

Now the Bears can focus on the next problem: defensive consistency.

The Bears struggled on the ground against Arizona. They allowed 213 yards on the ground, including 53 late in the first half on a touchdown drive that was a grueling moment in a game the Bears have never participated in.

That’s the name of the game now, and that’s what the Bears are focused on this week.

“I’ve said it since training camp; this is a league to prove it,” Eberflus said Friday. “You have to prove it. All this talk about being top five in certain areas – it’s nice talk, but it’s what you do on the turf. It’s how you perform every week.”

The defense will now face the New England Patriots and rookie quarterback Drake Maye.

Maye plays behind an offensive line that has struggled this year and leads an offense that ranks last in total offensive yards per game. If ever there was a game where the Bears could succeed, it’s Sunday at home.

Still, this is the NFL. Each team has professional players. Taking a team for granted is the first step a team can take to lose a game they shouldn’t.

That’s why it’s imperative that the Bears succeed on Sunday. Not only to prove to the rest of the league that they can get back to the level they were playing at before, but also to prove to themselves that they can play at a high level even after losing Andrew Billings to a life-ending injury the season and having other defensive starters on the injury report.

“We had some plays – some big plays that increased the yards – we just need to be more consistent,” Eberflus said. “We need to be more consistent, and the guys have been working hard on that – in terms of the running game this week. They’re excited about this performance coming up.”