Sorry came easy for Tyrique Stevenson but his Hail Mary gaffe sends the Bears on much rougher road

Even with No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams, the Chicago Bears find themselves in a familiar spot heading into November: last place in the NFC North.

Unlike the rest of the league's cellar dwellers, the Bears are still above .500 at 4-3 following one of the biggest gaffes in a last-gasp loss in league history.

The Bears, however, have the league's toughest remaining schedule, which includes all six games against division opponents — who are a combined 17-5 — and games against the 49ers, Cardinals and Seahawks, all of whom are tied atop the NFC West at 4-4.

The Bears were primed for their fourth consecutive victory when they took a 15-12 lead over the Commanders on Roschon Johnson's 1-yard TD run and a 2-point conversion with just 25 seconds remaining in their game Sunday at Washington.

Commanders rookie Jayden Daniels, drafted one spot behind Williams and playing through sore ribs, found Zach Ertz for an 11-yard gain and Terry McLaurin for 13 to get the Commanders to midfield and set up a Hail Mary.

Video posted on social media showed Chicago cornerback Tyrique Stevenson pointing toward the stands and raising his arms in the air with his back to the play — he said because he was cheering with Bears fans — when the ball was snapped with 2 seconds left.

When he realized what was happening, Stevenson sprinted toward the middle of the field. Bears coach Matt Eberflus said Stevenson was supposed to block out Noah Brown.

And with Daniels scrambling around for nearly 13 seconds while avoiding the three-man rush, Stevenson had plenty of time to recover from his goof-up and complete his assignment.

Instead, Stevenson went up for the pass, which got tipped to Brown wide open in the end zone behind the scrum.

The 52-yard heave was the longest Hail Mary by a rookie quarterback this century and handed the Bears a gut-wrenching 18-15 loss that they may look back on with deepening regret.

Stevenson posted an apology following the game on social media, saying: “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.”

He apologized to his teammates Monday and promised he had learned his lesson: “I let the moment get too big and it’s something that can never happen again and won’t ever happen again,” Stevenson said.

The blunder may end up haunting the Bears, who haven't made the playoffs since 2019. Their only remaining game against a losing opponent is New England (2-6) in two weeks.

The Patriots knocked off the New York Jets 25-22 Sunday, sending Aaron Rodgers tumbling to his fifth consecutive loss — and the worst start of his 20-year NFL career at 2-6.

As ESPN analyst and former NFL QB Dan Orlovsky noted, teams who score 20 or more points without a turnover while holding their opponent to 250 yards or less are 750-1 in NFL history.

That one loss was by the Jets on Sunday.

Interim Jets coach Jeff Ulbrich, who fell to 0-3 since taking over when Robert Saleh was fired, called the latest loss “a moment of darkness,” and Rodgers agreed.

“I’ve been in the darkness,” said Rodgers, who famously went on a four-day darkness retreat in 2023 to contemplate his NFL future. “You’ve got to go in there, make peace with it.”

Only one other time has Rodgers lost five consecutive starts, in 2022, his last season in Green Bay before joining the Jets and blowing out an Achilles tendon on just his fourth snap last year. Because he started, Rodgers actually was credited with the win in that game even though Zach Wilson went in and did all the heavy lifting in a 22-16 win over Buffalo that proved the highlight of New York's season.

So, generously, Rodgers' record in New York is 3-6 for a .333 winning percentage after he posted a 158-85-1 mark for a .650 winning percentage with the Packers.

Peyton Manning actually was better in Denver (50-15), where his .770 winning percentage bettered his .660 mark in Indy (150-77).

Brady went 37-20 in Tampa (.649) after going 219-64 (.768) in New England, but, like Manning, he won a Super Bowl on his second NFL stop, and in his first year apart from Bill Belichick.

Russell Wilson is 13-19 (.406) since leaving Seattle, where he was 113-60-1 (.654). He's 2-0 in Pittsburgh after leading the Steelers past the Giants 26-18 Monday night to cap a wild Week 8.

With contributions from AP Sports Writers Stephen Whyno in Landover, Md., and Andrew Seligman in Chicago.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) walks off the field following an NFL football game against the New England Patriots, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) celebrates in front of New England Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones (25) and cornerback Christian Gonzalez (0) after Jets running back Braelon Allen ran for a touchdown in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams leaves the field after an 18-15 loss to the Washington Commanders in an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) leaves the field after an 18-15 win over the Chicago Bears in an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown (85) catches a 52-yard touchdown pass in the end zone as time expires to give the Commanders an 18-15 win over the Chicago Bears in an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)