LANDOVER, Md. — The shouts let Jayden Daniels recognize a miracle had occurred.
“I just heard people screaming and our sideline rushing the field,” the Washington Commanders quarterback said. “That’s how I knew.”
Left guard Nick Allegretti was amid “chaos” some 70 yards away from the far end zone — “trying to hit somebody in a different color jersey to give Jayden a shot” — when Daniels’ Hail Mary heave fell from the sky.
“I didn’t know who caught it until three minutes later,” Allegretti said inside a raucous postgame locker room following the 18-15 stunner over the Chicago Bears at Northwest Stadium.
Coach Dan Quinn saw every moment. He witnessed his offense squander red zone opportunities, settle for field goals and blow a 12-point third-quarter lead to the Bears. Running back Roschon Johnson’s 1-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion put Chicago up three points with 25 seconds remaining.
Linebacker Frankie Luvu stalked the sideline, telling teammates to keep their “heads up. It’s not over yet.” Defensive tackle Daron Payne was by the bench “hoping (the offense) goes down and scores or gets it to overtime.”
Quinn watched Daniels, the team’s prized rookie playing with an injured rib, deliver a gutsy effort in a hyped matchup with Bears first-year quarterback Caleb Williams. Starting the possession at Washington’s 24, Daniels completed two passes that moved the ball to the 48 with two seconds remaining.
“I thought we had a chance if we could get up the field some,” Quinn said. “Then it turns into Hail Mary time.”
Daniels wasn’t his most efficient against the Bears’ top-five defense, though drops and penalties hampered the cause. Olamide Zaccheaus’ 32-yard catch-and-run touchdown was erased by an illegal man downfield penalty.
Teammates didn’t sense Daniels was limited by the injury that knocked him out in the first quarter of last week’s home win over the Carolina Panthers. They admired the effort.
“That’s the dog in him,” running back Brian Robinson Jr. said.
Quinn heard the final play call on his headset — not that anyone couldn’t have guessed. Daniels needed to buy time so the receivers could race to the end zone, but scrambling away from defenders for over 10 seconds on the final play was extra. He rolled right as guard Sam Cosmi kept rushers away from his quarterback and saw Allegretti deliver a monster block that “cleaned somebody’s clock.”
The coach saw Daniels float back toward the middle of the field and launch the ball roughly 65 yards in the air. He observed his receivers execute the plan on a play that typically appears random.
With wide receiver Terry McLaurin and 6-foot-5 tight end Zach Ertz battling for position against Chicago defenders, Noah Brown was in the end zone, standing behind the large group fighting for the ball.
“That happened to be my assignment on the Hail Mary,” Brown said.
Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson turned his back to the play, chirping at fans as Washington’s players ran downfield. He didn’t engage with the play until the Commanders had players inside the Bears’ 20-yard line. Ertz got a hand on the ball. So did Stevenson.
“It’s hard just to go up and snatch it,” Quinn said. “You almost have to go up and expect … a tip.”
Brown did. Quinn watched the bounce go toward his uncovered receiver and land in his hands. Noah caught the (tipped) arc.
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JAYDEN DANIELS HAIL MARY! @COMMANDERS WIN! pic.twitter.com/BsQ0Z84Rko
— NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2024
The delirious Quinn tossed away his headset and wildly raced onto the field with his players. Daniels momentarily ditched his chill vibe for the “once-in-a-lifetime experience. … I was juiced up. The whole stadium, team, sideline, everybody.”
Washington was already fortunate that the Bears lost a fumble on a botched exchange between Williams and lead blocker/offensive lineman Doug Kramer Jr. in the shadow of the Commanders’ goal line the drive before the go-ahead touchdown run. They absorbed a blow when kicker Austin Seibert badly missed a 51-yard field goal having already made four. Whatever happens, these Commanders stay focused.
“What I love about this team,” tight end John Bates said, “is nobody flinches.”
That certainly is true for the 23-year-old quarterback.
The rib injury that sidelined Daniels complicated his Week 8 status. Missing most team practices in between meant a rare event might not happen. The two quarterbacks, both Heisman Trophy winners, were selected No. 1 and 2 in April’s draft by franchises that spent decades looking for a long-term solution at the sport’s most critical position.
Nearly as rare is how often quarterbacks drafted with the first and second picks meet in their rookie year. This would be the sixth occurrence, but only if Washington’s No. 5 played. Daniels received clearance after pregame warmups, including various stretches, tossing medicine balls and a basketball and throwing football passes near and far. He also got down on all fours because, apparently, you have to crawl before you can walk into the huddle.
Backup Marcus Mariota appeared poised for his first start since 2022. That’s not the quarterback CBS envisioned when the network flexed the game to a prime afternoon time slot. Then Daniels went through a rigorous Friday practice. Media reports turned slightly positive over the next 48 hours.
“That Friday thing was cool,” Daniels said after completing 21 of 38 passes for 326 yards and one touchdown pass. He rushed for 52 yards on eight carries.
The stout defensive effort nearly unraveled. D’Andre Swift’s 56-yard touchdown run gave Chicago (4-3) momentum. Williams completed just 10 of 24 passes for 131 yards, though he showed his competitiveness in the second half.
Daniels is a primary reason Washington improved to 6-2 for the first time since 2008. The win marked a 4-0 start at home, matching the 2005 team that won the franchise’s most recent playoff game.
Players and coaches always believe anything is possible. Nobody familiar with reality — or the organization’s relentless misery under previous ownership — saw this coming.
Payne, Washington’s 2018 first-round pick, is among the most tenured players on the team. Over many years, he witnessed all that could and did go wrong for this franchise. He has yet to finish a season with a winning record.
“Stuff usually does not come out on top for us,” Payne said.
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These Commanders are telling a different tale.
“Being able to … come out happy and celebrate with the guys felt good,” Payne said.
General manager Adam Peters joined the players in the locker room, spending time with Cosmi and the offensive line. On Monday, that banged-up unit will worry about injuries to tackles Cornelius Lucas (ankle) and Brandon Coleman (concussion). Cosmi, a 2021 second-round selection, and the group were processing how the Commanders pulled off the win. As he headed toward the exits, Cosmi shared one observation.
“Things are finally leaning toward the good guys.”
For this franchise, talk about a miracle.
(Photo: Nick Wass / Associated Press)
