Use it or lose it. The timeout and the game. 



The Chicago Bears lost to the Detroit Lions 23-20 on Thanksgiving Day in bizarre fashion. Quarterback <a href="https://www.on3.com/db/caleb-williams-17251/">Caleb Williams</a> was sacked during the Bears’ final drive with over 30 seconds left in regulation. With one timeout left, the Bears opted to let the clock run in an attempt for one final 41-yard prayer to the end zone.



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It fell short, and questions surrounding clock management on the Chicago side of the isle began right away. 



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Here's the full sequence for the end of Lions-Bears. I can't believe this happened…….. <a href="https://t.co/dFMgDL2CE9">pic.twitter.com/dFMgDL2CE9</a>— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) <a href="https://twitter.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1862241557207728518?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2024</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



Reactions from across the NFL world flooded social media in the moments following the game. Shannon Sharpe called the situational football from head coach Matt Eberflus “<a href="https://x.com/shannonsharpe/status/1862240728929509841?s=12">awful</a>,” while former All-Pro pass rusher JJ Watt said he felt for Chicago fans before saying Thursday’s effort was “<a href="https://x.com/jjwatt/status/1862243196098556210?s=12">literal coaching malpractice</a>.”



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If the Bears would have called for timeout, they would have been able to draw up a gameplan to try at the very least to try and tie or win the game. The sack made it 3rd & 26 and with the team’s receivers down field, by the time they were set and the play was called, it was clear when Williams took the snap that it would be the final play of the game. 



Williams also could have spiked the ball with as many as 10 seconds left on the clock — more than enough time for a an extra play. 



However, that isn’t what happened and the Bears dropped to 4-8 on the season and are now on a six-game losing streak. The last time Chicago left a game victorious was on Oct. 13 when they beat the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. 



It’s also the third game in a row where Chicago has lost by three points or less having lost to the Packers by a point and each of the last two matchups against both the Vikings and Lions by a field goal. 



The Bears won’t be back on the field until Dec. 8 when they take on the San Francisco 49ers on the road.

Bears QB Caleb Williams

5GOATs

Bears, Caleb Williams make insane time-management blunder to lose despite having timeout vs. Lions

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