Bears tight end Jimmy Graham catches a touchdown with 61 seconds to play. | Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images
Nick Foles threw a 15-yard touchdown to Jimmy Graham — and then a two-point conversion to Damiere Byrd — with 61 seconds to play.
SEATTLE — With one play to win the game Sunday — a two-point conversion down one with 61 seconds left — the Bears called “QH Swivel.” Receiver Damiere Byrd, split wide right, was supposed to run a slant and pick the defender covering Darnell Mooney as he ran from the slot to the right flat.
It didn’t work. And then it did.
The Seahawks handed off the coverage like a basketball team playing the pick-and-roll.
“They actually played it perfectly,” quarterback Nick Foles said.
Instead of doubling back toward the back right pylon, Byrd floated backward, finding a soft spot in the zone and waited for Foles to see him.
“I think I was talking to myself at least for a couple of seconds,” Byrd said. “We locked eyes and he ended up throwing it. And I just knew I had to go up and get it.”
Byrd jumped in the back of the end zone and caught the ball. Three Seahawks defenders — all with their backs to Foles — tried to shove him out the back line before he landed. Byrd got one foot and another knee down — aided, he said, by the defenders holding him up.
Foles praised Byrd’s improvisation long before the ball got to him.
“The reason it worked was Byrd played backyard football and knew that they covered it well,” Foles said. “And if he wouldn’t have done his thing and just stopped and came back, we don’t win this game.”
Byrd wouldn’t have gotten the chance if Foles hadn’t given tight end Jimmy Graham one. On third-and-14 from the 15, Graham split left, ran into the end zone and posted up Seahawks cornerback John Reid. Help from safety Ryan Neal came a split second too late, and Graham jumped and caught the pass against his former team.
Told it was a tough play, Foles smiled.
“Not for Jimmy Graham . . . ” he said. All I was looking for right there was, like, ‘Who’s covering Jimmy? Are they going to double him? Alright, they’re not doubling him, I’m just going to throw it to Jimmy.’ . . .
“That’s Jimmy Graham, Hall of Famer.”
Fields update
Coach Matt Nagy was non-committal when asked whether rookie quarterback Justin Fields could play next week. Fields hurt his ankle against the Vikings and didn’t practice Thursday or Friday.
“I think Monday and Tuesday will tell us a lot . . .” Nagy said. “And then if not — if he’s still not feeling good — we’ll see how it is Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and go from there. But we’re gonna rely on where he’s at, what our trainers say.
“And then obviously Nick is gonna be prepared as well.”
Fines
Rookie right tackle Teven Jenkins was fined $8,473 for hitting the Vikings’ Sheldon Richardson on Monday, a source said.
Safety Teez Tabor, who hurt his ankle Sunday, was fined $4,722 for his low block flag against the Vikings.
Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks was fined $10,300 for the hit on Fields that led to his ejection.
