Inside Goodwin, Dalton's 4th quarter hail mary touchdown originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The vast majority of the Bears’ Week 11 loss to the Ravens was ugly. The offense was stagnant, the defense gave up big plays to surrender the game-losing touchdown, there were silly mistakes and questionable calls, and Justin Fields got hurt. But for one shining moment, under the most dire of circumstances, the Bears made a play and gave the fans at Soldier Field something to cheer for.
On a 4th-and-11 play, at Baltimore’s 49-yard line, down two points with only 1:48 seconds left, Andy Dalton and Marquise Goodwin connected for a hail mary touchdown.
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“I knew that Andy was potentially going to check it because it was cover-zero, and I didn’t see a safety, I didn’t see anybody,” Goodwin said. “I just ran my route. It was a simple go route and Andy made the perfect throw. He made my job very easy. I know it looks like I made this crazy play, but I literally just ran under the ball. Perfect ball from the quarterback.”
It was a play that Goodwin said he and Dalton worked on all the way back in training camp, and he had a sneaking suspicion they’d be able to pull off before the game even kicked off.
“When they told us that the other corners weren’t playing and it would be a rookie out there playing, kinda want to go at guys like that,” Goodwin said. “They lack experience and just technique is just different, so, put it up and gave me a shot, and we connected.”
They did connect at the perfect time, but of course they lost. That gut wrenching result muddied Goodwin’s feelings about the big play.
“My emotion’s everywhere right now. I’m kinda pooped out but just grateful I still get to play this game. I’m 31, celebrated a birthday a couple of days ago, now I’m out here playing the game that I love.”
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