In the clash of the two top-selected quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft, it was Washington Commanders’ Jayden Daniels who ended up getting the better of Chicago Bears’ Caleb Williams. Daniels delivered a last-second Hail Mary that gave Commanders an unlikely 18-15 win.
The Commanders rushed to a 12-0 lead early in the third quarter before the Bears mounted a remarkable comeback. D’Andre Swift rushed for a 56-yard touchdown in the final minutes of the third quarter, followed by another TD by Roschon Johnson and a successful two-point conversion with 25 seconds remaining on the clock.
Washington found themselves heading for a defeat despite dominating most of the game. Starting from their own 24-yard line, the Commanders managed to advance to the 48-yard line before seemingly running out of time.
Daniels took the snap as the clock hit zero and scrambled to give his wide receivers enough time to get to the end zone. He then launched a Hail Mary pass that seemed slightly short, but the ball ended up being tipped by Bears’ corner Tyrique Stevenson and landed in wide receiver Noah Brown’s arms.
Aside from the Hail Mary pass, Daniels, selected second overall in 2024, delivered another strong performance overall and further improved his chances of winning the NFL Rookie of the Year award. The former LSU product completed 21 out of 38 passes attempted while throwing for 326 yards and a touchdown. He also had 52 yards rushing.
Williams, taken with the top overall pick in this year’s draft, had another game in which he mainly struggled. He completed just 10 passes out of 24 attempted and threw for 131 yards with no touchdowns.
The win marked another step in the Commanders’ impressive turnaround this season. They are currently 6-2 after eight weeks and sit at the top of the NFC East. The Bears have a winning record at 4-3 but are still last in NFL North.
