CBS announcer Jim Nantz torched the Chicago Bears for their disastrous clock management leading to a loss on Thanksgiving Day.
The Bears traveled to Detroit on Thursday to take on the Detroit Lions in the first of three NFL games on the holiday. Although it initially seemed like the game would be a blowout win for the Lions, the Bears fought back in the second half. In the game’s final moments, the 4-7 Bears were in a position to get an improbable win over one of the league’s best teams.
Then, the Bears got in their own way.
With 36 seconds left in the game, the Bears trailed 23-20. After a penalty set the Bears back 10 yards to make it 2nd & 20 from the Lions’ 35-yard line, quarterback Caleb Williams took a sack to make it 3rd & 26 with just 30 seconds left. When Williams got up, however, there was very little urgency to run the next play as the clock continued to run. During the agonizingly long sequence, the offensive wasn’t set until just 10 seconds remained.
“Clock is running,” Nantz said as Williams motioned to his teammates, “with 15 seconds and it’s 3rd & 26. They have one timeout left. You better hurry! Oh, this is a disaster in the making here!”
A few seconds later, Williams snapped the ball and threw it down the field. It fell incomplete
“Incomplete and the game is over!” Nantz continued. “Completely botched at the end by the Bears!”
Analyst Tony Romo was just as stunned.
“I can’t believe they didn’t take a timeout,” he said. “You just assume they would’ve taken.”
Watch above via CBS