- Caleb Williams got the better of Jayden Daniels this time around in the Bears’ win over the Commanders.
- Cut by the 49ers in September, kicker Jake Moody stepped up for Chicago with a 38-yard game-winning field goal as time expired.
- The Bears’ dormant run game finally rustled from its slumber, with the offense racking up a season-best 145 yards on the ground.
LANDOVER, MD – A windy, misty night in the suburbs of the nation’s capital produced a highly entertaining rematch between the Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders, Da Bears prevailing 25-24 in the 55th meeting of two of the NFL’s most storied franchises.
And while this installment didn’t have quite the dramatic flair that last year’s chapter featured, it produced a wild finish nonetheless, one decided by a most unexpected figure.
Who ranked among the subset of winners and losers from a game that could have major playoff implications down the road for a pair of teams with three wins apiece? Here we go …
WINNERS
Hail Mary
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels’ game-ending 52-yard heave to WR Noah Brown nearly a year ago gave Washington a stunning 18-15 triumph – one that helped catapult the Commanders to the NFC championship game while sending the Bears into an unrecoverable 10-game slide that cost then-coach Matt Eberflus his job. But no such pyrotechnics on this wet night, Chicago exorcising those demons – for the time being – while running its winning streak to three games.
‘What’s in the past is in the past. I wasn’t here,’ said Bears rookie coach Ben Johnson. ‘Probably half the team wasn’t here. So, we’ve all moved past that, and I think they understand that. I know some guys spoke on it and gave their two cents. But beyond that, I mean, it wasn’t a big deal.’
Caleb Williams
This was a happier homecoming for the D.C. native, though this game was another microcosm of his still nascent career – frequent flashes expected of a No. 1 overall pick, though barely enough to secure a much-needed win, his proclivity to hold onto the ball too long again rearing its head. But Williams – he passed for 252 yards and a TD and ran for another score – led a mistake-free final drive that culminated in a game-winning field goal while fully bleeding the clock. He’s still chasing Daniels, and probably Drake Maye and perhaps others – draftmate Michael Penix Jr. led an Atlanta Falcons upset of the Buffalo Bills earlier Monday night – in a 2024 draft that seems poised to lend itself to re-legislation for years to come. But this round goes to the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner, not Daniels (the 2023 winner).
LMC
Capitalizing on opportunities in place of injured WRs Terry McLaurin and Brown, Luke McCaffrey got wide open for a 33-yard touchdown, his third in the past four games. Factor in a special teams tackle and his 127 aggregate kickoff return yards, and the youngest of the McCaffrey brothers continues to earn the “Luuuuuuke” cheers raining down from the Northwest Stadium fans.
Bears run game
It appeared rejuvenated by some offensive line adjustments, producing a season-best 145 yards and 5.4 per attempt. Lead back D’Andre Swift burst through wider lanes for a season-high 108 yards, though his 55-yard TD reception in the fourth quarter truly swung the game’s momentum.
Jake Moody
Apparently, all the Michigan product needed was to return to a Big Ten team. Cut by the San Francisco 49ers, who drafted Moody in Round 3 two years ago, he drilled his first three field-goal attempts and a PAT in his Bears debut, replacing injured Cairo Santos. Moody’s 38-yarder at the gun, and in unideal weather, proved decisive.
LOSERS
Jake Moody
With Chicago trailing by a point to start the fourth quarter, Moody sent a 48-yard try directly into Washington DT Daron Payne for the easiest block he’ll ever record. For much of the period, it seemed like this might be another unfortunate moment that could define the young kicker.
Bears run game
Oddy, Chicago is 1-2 this season when it posts at least 100 yards on the ground but 2-0 when it doesn’t.
Commanders turnovers
Three of them – an interception and two fumbles – led to 13 Bears points. And on a night when Chicago didn’t give the rock away? Ball game.
Jayden Daniels
In his second start back from a knee sprain that cost him two games, the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year had an uneven performance … even if, for now, he’s still the premier player from the 2024 draft (though Maye is coming). After a costly first-quarter interception deep in Chicago territory that eventually led to a Bears TD – perhaps a 14-point swing – Daniels rebounded to pass for 211 yards and three TDs while rushing for 52 yards on his bum wheel. He generally kept his currently frail frame out of harm’s way but wasn’t quite his explosive self, and the early mistake was costly.
But not as much as a botched handoff near midfield that resulted in Washington’s final turnover and sparked the Bears’ game-winning drive. Daniels took full responsibility for the loss, though his teammates credited him for keeping the Commanders in the game at all.
#RaiseHail
Just in case you’re not familiar with the hashtag/slogan attached to the Commanders on social media – but they belatedly raised some after falling into a 13-point second-quarter deficit. Yet coughing up an eight-point fourth-quarter lead will earn them some Hail in the coming days, a collapse that cost them a share of first place in the NFC East. Next up? A trip to face the rival Dallas Cowboys on a short week.