LANDOVER, Md. — Handing the ball off to a 300-pounder at the goal line is amusing when you’re running away with a game. It’s absurd when you’re counting on that to take that lead in the fourth quarter.
The Bears made a lot of errors in their 18-15 loss to the Commanders on Sunday, ending in a botched Hail Mary defense that left no one covering the tip to wide receiver Noah Brown in the end zone for a touchdown with no time left, but their miscue at the goal line with six minutes left might have been the biggest.
Down 12-7 and lining up in the I-formation for third-and-goal at the Commanders’ 1-yard line, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron called for a surprise handoff to backup offensive lineman Doug Kramer. Kramer has been filling in at fullback the last few games, but only as a lead blocker — until now.
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams held the ball out into Kramer’s chest, but he never got his hands around it and fumbled. Defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newton, a former Illini like Kramer, recovered it and squashed the Bears’ chance to take the lead.
Doug Kramer was not prepared for this moment pic.twitter.com/LuSdUfxExy
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) October 27, 2024
“You’re excited, and I appreciate Shane for having the trust in me to call it, but I made a mistake and dropped the ball on the 1-yard line,” Kramer said.
When asked what went wrong on the play, he replied, “I fumbled it.”
Bears coach Matt Eberflus said he didn’t consider interjecting when he heard Waldron call it and was confident because the team has practiced that play for a few weeks.
“We’ve worked the mechanics of it, the handoff to him, and we’ve just got to do it better,” he said. “It’s just wedge-blocking and you’re on the 1-yard line and you’ve got a big guy getting the ball.”