Bears WR Rome Odunze says excitement about this season overshadows team's frustration with Matt Eberflus

Quarterback Caleb Williams’ frustration over the Bears’ season-defining loss to the Commanders on a Hail Mary in October and how former coach Matt Eberflus mishandled it lingered long enough that he mentioned it in a recent interview with Esquire magazine.

He was not alone in that feeling.

When asked Tuesday about Williams saying players were ‘‘annoyed’’ by Eberflus’ actions in the wake of the defeat, which included him sidestepping blame and his underwhelming discipline of cornerback Tyrique Stevenson for blowing his assignment, wide receiver Rome Odunze said Williams’ comment resonated with him.

‘‘I’ve never lost like that before,’’ Odunze said. ‘‘It’s never a feeling that I’m going to get used to or be comfortable with, [and] he experienced that same sort of feeling.

‘‘It’s adversity that you have to overcome, and that’s exactly what we’re looking to do [now]. . . . The excitement for this upcoming season is completely overshadowing anything that happened last year.’’

The Bears went into that game 4-2 and appeared poised to take off. But after Williams had led a scoring drive to give them a 15-12 lead with 25 seconds left, the defense allowed Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels to pull off the most thrilling play of the NFL season: a 52-yard heave in which the ball caromed to wide receiver Noah Brown in the end zone as time expired.