The Bears were down to their final play against the Browns on Sunday, and almost pulled out a miracle.
Trailing 20-17 with five seconds left to play, Chicago had the ball just past midfield. Quarterback Justin Fields locked and loaded to throw a Hail Mary into the end zone.
At the other end of the arc Fields traced through the air, a sea of Bears receivers and Browns defenders muddled together in the end zone.
As the ball came back towards earth, it was batted around and down, and landed directly in the hands of Chicago receiver Darnell Mooney, who was stumbling onto his backside in the end zone.
Somehow, he couldn’t hold on.
The ball squirted right out of his hands, then off his foot and into the hands of Browns safety D’Anthony Bell. What should have been an unbelievable game-winning touchdown would instead be remembered as an interception.
HOLY OH MY GOD pic.twitter.com/l6fbNhvmW8
— NFL (@NFL) December 17, 2023
Fans watching the play at home were left heartbroken.
That is brutal. He had the ball…. Wow.
— Pats Buzz (@PatsBuzz) December 17, 2023
IT WAS IN HIS HANDS NOOOO
— Lost Tribe Sports (@LostTribeSports) December 17, 2023
IT WAS IN HIS HANDS
— Owen🎄 (@Boston_SZN) December 17, 2023
What a great Hail Mary throw by Fields https://t.co/ULYmhHAl81
— John Middlekauff (@JohnMiddlekauff) December 17, 2023
Darnell Mooney ended up kicking it away at the end https://t.co/CQQzYWzcAS
— Matt Harmon (@MattHarmon_BYB) December 17, 2023
The Bears fell to 5-9 with the loss, and Mooney left with a play that will likely haunt him for some time.
