CHAMPAIGN – The Jets’ final furious rally in yesterday’s 20-13 loss to the Bears ended on a Wayne Chrebet fumble as he hurdled high in the air trying to be Superman.

Chrebet caught a short Chad Pennington pass and raced up the middle of the field. As he approached the Bears’ 15-yard line he tried to hurdle three Chicago defenders.

Chrebet got so high, aided by a Larry Whigham hit, that he let go of the ball while trying to break his fall.

Bears’ CB Roosevelt Williams recovered the fumble, the only turnover of the game, at Chicago’s 14-yard line with 1:10 remaining in the game, leaving Chrebet distraught after the game.

“My instincts took over,” he said. “I tried to make a play and it’s my fault we didn’t have a chance to tie the game up. Just stinks all around. I feel horrible.”

Herman Edwards and Chrebet’s teammates, however, praised his effort to try to make a big play.

“He was trying to make a play; how can you fault him for that?” Edwards said.

“That play didn’t lose us the game,” Pennington said. “There were numerous plays I could have made to give us momentum and give us the spark. Obviously I know Wayne is disappointed, but at same time that one play did not lose us the game.”

Whigham was shocked when he saw Chrebet launch himself.

“I don’t know what made him do that,” Whigham said. “I saw him jump up and I just tried to lift him up higher in the air.”

Asked if he thinks Chrebet made a mistake, Whigham said, “Yeah, I think so, but if he does it and hurdles me and keeps running it’s a great play.”

That was Chrebet’s mindset.

“It was just my natural reaction and obviously it was the wrong move,” Chrebet said. “If I hold onto the ball and we score it’s good. But it’s my fault. I got to be more careful. I jumped and next thing I know I was face-first on the ground, so I don’t even know when it came out.”