The Browns may have been holding their breath when Bears quarterback Justin Fields launched a prayer of a pass into the end zone with no time left on the clock and Chicago down 20-17.
The ball ended up sailing toward a group of Bears and Browns players and was deflected right into the arms of falling Chicago receiver Darnell Mooney.
But instead of making the heroic touchdown catch, Mooney couldn’t control the ball and it flew out of his hands and into the arms of D’Anthony Bell to secure the win for Cleveland.
“I damn near s–t myself, dog,” Browns tight end David Njoku told reporters about watching the Hail Mary.
“It’s tough and crazy,” Mooney added. “How many times do you see that Hail Mary work and actually be able to maybe catch it?”
The play was a blur to Browns coach Kevin Stefanski.
“I blacked out,” he said.
“That’s this season. There are times you just gotta trust your guys and, again, that locker room, I trust that locker room,” he later added. “Because they work their butts off and they fight like crazy.”
Garrett had a firsthand view after chasing Fields from the pocket.
“He kind of looked at me, just made sure I was far enough away and then tossed it up.” Garrett said. “I was like, ‘Please, Lord, don’t let us be one of these like, YouTube compilations.’”
For a moment, Fields thought the Bears had pulled it out.
“I heard some celebration on the sideline,” he said, “and then it was kind of like, awww. Then I saw the guy picked off the pass.”
Njoku’s very relatable response to the Hail Mary attempt garnered plenty of attention, but the Browns tight end had already made a mark on the game with his play on the field.
Njoku finished the game with 10 receptions for 104 yards and a touchdown against the Bears.
Two of his catches were crucial to the comeback win on Sunday night, with one being the Browns’ first touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter.
Later in the final quarter, Njoku had a 34-yard catch with 56 seconds left on the clock.
The catch helped put the Browns in good field position which eventually set up the game-winning field goal.
“It’s been fun seeing him grow as a person. Maturing, evolving as a player,” Garrett said about Njoku. “And how great of a teammate he’s become because that can’t be understated. He’s turned from a guy who’s trying to make plays and trying find his role on the team to one of the biggest advocates for every single player on this team.”
