Anytime two NFL teams draft a pair of quarterbacks with high picks in the same class, they are compared to each other for the foreseeable future. Such has been the case with the Washington Commanders and Chicago Bears.
The Bears selected Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in 2024. The Commanders took Jayden Daniels at No. 2. Washington's first season of the new era resulted in an NFC Championship game appearance, with its signal-caller winning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. Chicago won five games.
The two teams also played each other in Week 8, and the outcome significantly altered the course of both of their campaigns. Now, they'll do it again on Monday Night Football.
Jayden Daniels and the Commanders can gain even more distance on the Bears
Daniels has been adamant that he's not thinking about last year's game-winning Hail Mary ahead of Week 6, because it's irrelevant now. But let's not kid ourselves: it's far from irrelevant. After all, neither team would be in its current position had it not happened.
At the time the Bears played the Commanders last year, they were 4-2. They were then a play away from being 5-2, with playoff hopes very much on the table. After Daniels and Noah Brown broke their hearts, they didn't win again until Week 18. Head coach Matt Eberflus was fired after Thanksgiving, and Williams' season was deemed a major disappointment.
For Washington, it was the moment that the new dawn rose. It was the spark that ignited a sleeping giant. After 25 years of Dan Snyder's toxic stench destroying any positive energy surrounding the franchise, Commanders fans now realized they were allowed to have good things.
At this time last year, it was considered too early to judge who had won the quarterback sweepstakes between Washington and Chicago, or which franchise was in a better position. The amount of distance the Commanders put on the Bears after they met was so humiliating that one almost has to feel sorry for them. The fact that Daniels can say he's not even thinking about it proves that.
One thing is for sure: the Bears are thinking about it. This is their chance at revenge, to stop the bleeding in what has been a completely one-sided rivalry so far. If they can come into the Commanders' house and steal one, with bonus points for employing Ben Johnson as their new head coach after he turned Washington down, that will be their Super Bowl.
The Commanders cannot let their opponents win. In fact, let's not even allow this one to come down to the last play. It's time to run up the score on national TV.