HAIL NOAH!!!!!!!!!!
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鈥� Washington Commanders (@Commanders)
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) 鈥� Jayden Daniels had a couple of very simple thoughts going through his head with the Washington Commanders needing to make a long-distance throw to beat the Chicago Bears.
鈥淏uy some time and don鈥檛 throw the ball out of bounds,” Daniels said.
Daniels and heaved the ball from the Washington 35-yard line with no time on the clock. The pass tipped off the hands of Zach Ertz short of the goal line and into the waiting arms of Noah Brown, who was standing alone in the end zone, for a that gave the Commanders an improbable 18-15 victory on Sunday and sent players, coaches and fans into a frenzy.
The rookie quarterback never even saw Brown make the catch.
鈥淚 just heard people screaming and our sideline rushing the field. That鈥檚 how I knew,鈥� said Daniels, whose status was uncertain until hours before kickoff . 鈥淭hat鈥檚 kind of like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Not too many people get to experience stuff like that.鈥�
Daniels’ heroics came after the Commanders (6-2) fell behind with 25 seconds left on a TD run by Roschon Johnson after a pass-interference penalty put the ball on the 1-yard line. There were just 19 seconds left after a kickoff return to the 24.
Three completions later, Daniels added his best highlight yet to a season that has made him the favorite to be AP Offensive Rookie of the Year and one of the NFL’s most electric players.
鈥淲e鈥檙e blessed to have 鈥�5鈥� leading this team: The things he can do is special,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 want to play with any other quarterback.鈥�
Offensive lineman Sam Cosmi said it was 鈥渓ike a movie.鈥�
鈥淔ront-row seats to something amazing,鈥� Cosmi said. “That was just crazy. This will always stick in my head forever. What a moment.”
In the NFL鈥檚 sixth matchup of rookie quarterbacks taken with the top two picks in the draft, Daniels threw for 326 yards and ran for 52. Caleb Williams, taken first by the Bears (4-3), completed four of his first 16 passes and finished 10 of 24 for 131 yards.
Chicago, which had its winning streak snapped at three, had just 172 yards of offense before the fourth quarter started and did not get on the board until D’Andre Swift’s 56-yard TD run late in the third.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 just us shooting ourselves in the foot and that comes from details and focus in the game, throughout the week,鈥� said Williams, a Washington-area native who was playing back home for the first time as a pro. 鈥淭hat comes from myself. I鈥檓 included in that for sure. Definitely missed a few passes that I don鈥檛 miss typically so, tough, but very encouraging because we stayed in it.鈥�
Daniels was not himself at times and looked a bit off because of the rib injury, which knocked him out of last week’s win over Carolina and kept him from practicing Wednesday and Thursday. He took several hits after letting go of the ball but was at his best when it mattered.
鈥淲e knew he had it in him,鈥� running back Brian Robinson Jr. said. 鈥淗e just showed us today what he鈥檚 capable of and how tough he is.鈥�
Scoring Seibert
Austin Seibert kicked four field goals for the Commanders for their only points until the Hail Mary.
Signing Seibert after a kicking debacle in the season opener has turned out to be huge for Washington. Even with one fewer game, he passed Mark Moseley during his All-Pro season in 1982 for the most field goals made and most points scored through Week 8 in franchise history.
Injuries
Bears: After losing left tackle Braxton Jones in the first half with a knee injury, guards Teven Jenkins (knee) and Bill Murray (chest) were knocked out in the fourth.
Commanders: LT Cornelius Lucas limped off the field midway through the third quarter with an ankle injury. Rookie Brandon Coleman, who has been splitting the snaps with Lucas, was inactive because of a concussion.
Up next
Bears: Visit Arizona next Sunday.
Commanders: Visit the New York Giants next Sunday.
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