With roughly three minutes remaining in regulation, the Washington Commanders held a two-point lead and a nearly 80 percent chance of victory over the Chicago Bears. With the game in the balance, the burgundy and gold were unable to run down the clock and see out the win.
On third and one from the Chicago 40-yard line, a fumbled exchange between quarterback Jayden Daniels and rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt opened the door for a Bears comeback. Quarterback Caleb Williams promptly led Chicago on a nine-play, 36-yard drive before kicker Jake Moody drilled a 38-yard field goal as time expired to complete an improbable 25-24 win over the Commanders.
The Commanders and Bears continue to find exciting new ways to conclude a game. Last season’s thrilling Hail Mary affair was arguably the most shocking ending to an NFL game all season. This time around, Chicago players were the ones celebrating as the clock hit zero.
“I just lost the ball. Completely my fault,” said Daniels, after the loss. “Didn’t give Bill a chance. It’s my fault.”
For the fourth time in just six games, Washington fell behind by double digits — thanks in large part to two first-half turnovers. The Bears jumped out to a 13-0 lead and Commanders fans worried the game would turn into a blowout before the offense ever got going. Daniels completed 19 of 26 attempts for 211 yards, with three touchdowns and an interception in the loss, while Williams completed 17 of 29 passes for 252 yards and a touchdown for Chicago.
Dating back to college, Daniels and Williams have been linked repeatedly. They were easily the two best quarterbacks of their draft class. Daniels won the Heisman Trophy, while Williams was the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Daniels defeated Williams and the Bears via the most dramatic of circumstances in Year 1 and Williams now earned some revenge in Year 2. If every matchup between these two is this epic, it’s safe to assume the NFL script writers are already salivating at what the third installment might produce.