Bears Edge Commanders in Close Encounter
LANDOVER, Md. — Unlike last year’s thrilling finish marked by a last-second Hail Mary, this time, Caleb Williams and the Bears clinched a 25-24 victory over Jaden Daniels and the Commanders with a final play score. Jake Moody’s 38-yard field goal sealed the win.
With this victory, the Bears (3-2) resumed play after a bye week, marking their third consecutive win under first-year head coach Ben Johnson.
Meanwhile, Washington (3-3) continued its back-and-forth pattern this season, missing an opportunity to tie with the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles for the top spot in the NFC East.
Williams completed 17 of 29 attempts for 252 yards and threw one touchdown, guiding a critical nine-play, 36-yard drive that ended in Moody’s fourth field goal of a drizzly evening.
Moody, recently promoted from the practice squad after Cairo Santos was sidelined with a quad injury, successfully kicked field goals from 47 and 48 yards in the first quarter, and another from 41 yards in the third. However, an attempt from 48 yards was blocked early in the fourth quarter.
Selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 2023 draft, Moody faced some stumbling blocks earlier in the season but came through when it mattered.
On the other side, Jaden Daniels faced some challenges, making his first interception of the season while finishing 19-for-26 for 211 yards and three touchdowns.
It’s interesting to note that just about a year ago, Washington triumphed over Chicago with a dramatic 18-15 finish, courtesy of a 52-yard touchdown pass from Daniels to Noah Brown.
This play, famously dubbed “Hail Maryland” in local circles and “Mary’s Fail” by Bears fans, initiated a tough 10-game losing streak for Chicago while propelling Washington toward the conference title game.
