Poor Chicago. Despite getting thoroughly outplayed all afternoon by the Falcons, there they were at their own 23 with 2:39 to play, down only 19-13 after Jason Elam badly biffed a straight-on 33-yard field goal try for Atlanta. And then Kyle Orton went to work.

(No, Orton did not do this on Sunday, though considering what transpired, he may as well have.)

Displaying the sort of two-minute mastery normally reserved for good quarterbacks, Orton led the Bears down the field in methodical fashion, throwing 10-yard strikes here and 17-yard passes there. Sure enough, with 17 seconds left, the Bears stood at the Atlanta 17-yard line facing third and 10. Then the fun started.

Orton, facing no pressure whatsoever from the Atlanta pass rush, found Rashied Davis on a corner route in the back of the end zone for a  touchdown, and Robbie Gould’s extra point game Chicago its first lead of the game, 20-19. All the Bears had to do was not allow the Falcons to get within field goal range in the last 11 seconds. That’s all they had to do.

So, naturally, they decided to only send the kickoff about halfway to the end zone, squibbing it to an upman who returned it to Atlanta’s 44 yard line. With his Falcons’ hopes still barely alive, QB Matt Ryan found Michael Jenkins along the sideline for a 26-yard gain with just a second on the clock. From there, it was all but a formality, as Elam’s kick was true and the railroad spike was driven decisively into the hearts of Bears fans nationwide.

To even the most casual observer, the culprit in the Bears’ loss is the dreaded squib kick, a machination of paranoid coaches that leaves easily locked doors open. Even if the Falcons had repeated the 80-some yard return from the Bears’ previous kickoff, the game still probably would have been over.

It’s hard to remember the last time any team scored with under 30 seconds to go, then gave up a game-winning kickoff return for a touchdown. Can you name one? I can’t. Oh wait, there was this high school game from like 15 years ago. It’s easy, however, to recall the last time a squib kick backfired horribly–September 1, 2008: Tennessee at UCLA. UCLA scored a go-ahead touchdown with 27 seconds to go, and Tennessee, down by three, held only one timeout. The ensuing squib forced the Volunteers to drive only 27 yards before connecting on a 47-yard FG to send the game to overtime (the Vols would lose, but still).

If any justice exists in the football universe, Chicago’s will be the last squib kick attempted in the NFL ever. It’s a moronic strategy when trying to protect a small lead. Just let the special teams and the clock do their job, then get out of there with a win. Instead, Lovie Smith overthought the situation and made Jason Elam a very happy, relieved man.