Late score before halftime dooms Bears in 29-9 loss to Cardinals

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — A massive breakdown cost the Chicago Bears in the closing seconds of a half for the second straight week.

This one put the Bears in a hole they couldn't recover from.

A week after losing to Washington on a last-play Hail Mary, the Bears allowed Emari Demercado to score on a 53-yard run with four seconds left in the first half of Sunday's 29-9 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

“At one point, it was 7-6 and from there it kind of got out of hand,” Bears quarterback Caleb Williams said. “It's tough to be in that position and have those things happen.”

Chicago (4-4) seemed to have turned it around after a difficult start to the season, arriving in Washington on a three-game winning streak.

The Bears' momentum came to a screeching halt with a brutal finish against the Commanders, ending on a 52-yard Hail Mary to Noah Brown for an 18-15 loss.

The loss was even tougher to take when social media showed Chicago cornerback Tyrique Stevenson with his back turned, motioning to the crowd as the final play unfolded. He got back into the play late and the ball was tipped right into Brown's hands for the winning score.

Stevenson apologized to his teammates, but he left practice early on Wednesday after learning he wouldn't start against the Cardinals (5-4). Stevenson didn't play until the third series of Sunday's game, but tied for the team lead with seven tackles and broke up two passes.

“Feelings are a little hurt, disappointed, but decisions made,” Stevenson said. “I can't go against the decisions. I'm here to be a team player, be a great guy for this team and that's what I set out to do today.”

It didn't seem to matter who was on the field for the Bears.

Chicago's defense, one of the NFL's best against the run, was gouged for 213 yards rushing — 107 by James Conner. The offense stalled three times and settled for field goals while the game was still close.

The shifty Williams wasn't nearly elusive enough against Arizona's pressure, losing 45 yards on six sacks. He threw for 217 yards on 22-of-41 passing.

‘We’re showing flashes, but we've got to find a way to keep the light on," Williams said.

Chicago's biggest mistakes did the most damage.

The first came in the second quarter, when a made field goal turned into a touchdown.

Chad Ryland made the 32-yard kick, but the Cardinals got a second chance when Chicago's Gervon Dexter Sr. was called for illegal leverage on the snapper. Trey Benson scored on a 1-yard run three plays following the automatic first down, putting Arizona up 14-6.

“That was obviously a big play in the game,” Bears coach Matt Eberflus said.

Even after the big mistake and all the field goals, the Bears were still within reach.

The hole quickly became steeper.

Cairo Santos' second 53-yard field goal pulled the Bears within 14-9 with 30 seconds left before halftime. The Cardinals started the final drive of the half at their own 30 and seemed ready to run out the clock after two short gains.

The Bears lined up deep to prevent a big play, but got burned when Demercado broke an early tackle, got past the linebackers and Chicago's safeties didn't rotate over in time.

Instead of being down five, Chicago trailed 21-9 at halftime.

“That's on me,” Eberflus said. “I called a pass pressure and they end up running the ball. I can make a better call there.”

The Bears' last gaffe had little impact on the final outcome, yet summed up their day.

Pinned at their own 1-yard line, the Bears seemed to escape a safety when Williams threw an incomplete pass against pressure. Arizona still ended up with a safety when Bears running back D'Andre Swift was called for an illegal chop block in the end zone, capping an ugly afternoon in the desert.

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John Marshall, The Associated Press