Washington football lore has seen fantastic finishes, unusual wins and losses and magical seasons ending in Super Bowl victories. But the final play in a classic game against the Chicago Bears ended in a Hail Mary miracle. It takes the Commanders to 6-2 for the first time since 2008.
It was a game of attrition. Make no mistake, it wasn’t perfectly played by either team. The Commanders took a three field goal lead because the offense couldn’t go from the red zone to the end zone. It wasn’t all the fault of the offense.
The Bears have a ferocious defense that stands out in the NFC and they tested Jayden Daniels all day just as the Washington defense kept Caleb Williams from getting in synch with his receivers.
In the third quarter, with the Commanders leading 9-0, it looked like the Commanders were going to blow the game wide open when Daniels threw a screen out to Olamide Zaccheaus who ran 32 yards down the field for a touchdown and at least a 2-TD lead. However, referees caught offensive lineman Sam Cosmi as an illegal man downfield and the team needed to again settle for an Austin Seibert field goal.
At 12-0 and still two scores from the lead, the Bears had life. When De’Andre Swift took the ball around left end for 56 yards and a touchdown, da Bears were down by 5 at the end of the third quarter. The Bears defense stiffened in the fourth quarter but the offense made mistakes.
At the end of the second quarter, Williams lost 15 yards on a sack taking the Bears out of field goal range ending the half at 9-0. With less than 6 and a half minutes left in the game, the Bears drove down to the Washington one yard. Center Doug Kramer, Jr., and Williams muffled a hand-off and Jer’Zhan Newton recovered the ball keeping the Commanders up 12-7.
On a 3rd and 5, Daniels ran for the first down and ended up inches short. Quinn put the game in the hands of the defense but there were signs of fatigue.
On the other side, momentum and a rejuvenated Williams carried the Bears offense to the Washington 12 and with the game on the line, Caleb threw incomplete to Keenan Allen only because of an interference penalty on Benjamin St. Juste. This time, Bears running back Roschon Johnson scored from 1 yard out to take the lead with 27 seconds remaining. A two-point conversion–Williams to Cole Kmet–gave the Bears a 15-12 lead with 25 seconds remaining.
It seemed impossible. A kickoff return by Austin Ekeler brought the ball to the Washington 24 yard line with 19 seconds left. After an incomplete pass to Zach Ertz, Daniels found Ertz for 11 yards on National Tight End Day. The Commanders called their last time out. They had to use two earlier in the half to prevent delay of game penalties.
With the Bears defense in full prevent mode, Terry McLaurin brought in a 13 yard pass and ran out of bounds at the Commanders 48 yard line with 3 seconds left in the game.
On 1st down, Daniels scrambled to his right and then to his left buying time for receivers to get to the Chicago goal line. Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson started the play yelling at the fans and then ran back to the group of Washington receivers and Bears defenders. Daniels heaved the ball nearly 66 yards to the crowd. Stevenson, who earlier in the game had a contentious fight with McLaurin, tipped the ball into the air and the ball landed in the hands of Noah Brown standing behind the crowd in the end zone.
Touchdown Commanders–Northwest crowd in delirium–Dan Quinn doing his best Jimmy Valvano impression–and another page written into the annals of professional football in Washington.
While the 1991 Washington Redskins had a bandwagon loaded and heading to a Super Bowl XXII victory, the 2024 Washington Commanders seems more like a magic carpet ride 33 years later on a magical mystery tour–full steam ahead–with destination still unknown.
The post Commanders Hail a Miracle in 18-15 Win appeared first on Marylandsportsblog.com.