Daniels Delivers Hail Mary Victory Over Bears
In a thrilling finish dubbed the Maryland Miracle, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels led the Washington Commanders to a stunning 18-15 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday with a 52-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass to Noah Brown as time expired.
Brown found himself wide open in the end zone to secure the remarkable catch after the pass was deflected. Daniels held onto the ball for 12.79 seconds, marking the first touchdown pass in the Next Gen Stats era (since 2016) with a time-to-throw exceeding 10 seconds.
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn expressed disbelief at the team's performance on the field.
The game also featured a matchup between Caleb Williams and Daniels, the top two picks from the 2024 draft. While both offenses faced challenges in scoring, Chicago appeared to have secured a victory when Roschon Johnson completed a 1-yard touchdown run, giving the Bears a 15-12 lead with 23 seconds remaining.
Nonetheless, Daniels, who is a strong contender for Offensive Rookie of the Year, orchestrated a four-play drive with just one timeout left, culminating in Washington's walk-off touchdown. His status for Week 8 remains uncertain due to a rib injury that affected his practice participation.
Daniels ended the game with 21 completions on 38 attempts, accumulating 326 yards and one touchdown, while also rushing for 52 yards. With this win, the Commanders improved their record to 6-2, while the Bears fell to 4-3.
