Commanders pull off play of the year with Hail Mary to beat Bears
Noah Brown was standing behind the crowd of players when the ball was tipped right to him
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Washington Commanders have pulled off the play of the year thus far to beat the Chicago Bears in thrilling fashion on Sunday night.
With a desperation heave to the end zone, Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, down three points with no time left on the clock, watched as his Hail Mary sailed toward the end zone.
But, what appeared to be a ball too short for a game-winning touchdown, turned into a tipped ball that went backwards from the crowd of Commanders and Bears near the goal line.
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Washington Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown (85) celebrates with teammates after catching a game-winnning Hail Mary pass on the final play of the game against the Chicago Bears at Northwest Stadium. (Geoff Burke-Imagn Images)
The only one behind them? Commanders receiver Noah Brown was the recipient of the tip drill, and Washington won the game, 18-15, on the incredible play.
Brown was mobbed by his teammates, while the Commanders sideline sprinted onto the field in amazement and shock, including head coach Dan Quinn.
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Meanwhile, the Bears, led by Caleb Williams, couldn’t believe their eyes as they walked off the field shaking their heads.
This game wasn’t the highest-scoring bout as the scoreboard read, but it was a highly anticipated matchup between this year’s Nos. 1 and 2 picks in Williams and Daniels respectively.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The first half wasn’t pretty for either offense, as there wasn’t a touchdown at all, though Washington was able to kick three field goals to go into halftime with a 9-0 lead.
Washington Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown catches a Hail Mary pass that was tipped with no time left to beat the Chicago Bears. (Peter Casey-Imagn Images)
They would eventually make it 12-0 as Williams just couldn’t get anything going on offense. But they were finally able to break their scoring drought in this one thanks to D’Andre Swift, who broke out a 56-yard touchdown run that made it 12-7 after the extra-point from Cairo Santos.
In the fourth quarter, Chicago found themselves still down five points when Williams orchestrated a 62-yard touchdown drive, capping the 10 plays with a one-yard punch into the end zone by Roschon Johnson, and the two-point conversion pass to Cole Kmet gave Chicago the three-point lead they wanted with 23 seconds left on the clock.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}But the total prayer from the arm of Daniels from Washington’s 48-yard line got the right deflection and a play no one will forget from Week 8 makes the Commanders 6-2 on the year, while the Bears fell to 4-3.
In the box score, Daniels had 326 yards passing on 21-of-38, while rushing for 52 yards on eight carries. Terry McLaurin needed just five catches to rack up 125 yards, while tight end Zach Ertz had 77 yards on seven receptions.
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) passes the ball as Chicago Bears defensive end Darrell Taylor (52) chases during the first quarter at Northwest Stadium. (Geoff Burke-Imagn Images)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}For the Bears, Williams, was just 10-for-24 for 131 yards, though Swift was able to total 129 yards on the ground on 18 carries, including that long touchdown run. Rome Odunze, a fellow rookie alongside Williams and Daniels, led the Bears with 41 yards through the air.
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