LANDOVER, Md. — Jayden Daniels had a few quite simple ideas going via his head with the Washington Commanders needing to make a long-distance throw to beat the Chicago Bears.
“Purchase a while and do not throw the ball out of bounds,” Daniels mentioned.
Daniels scrambled round for almost 13 seconds and heaved the ball from the Washington 35-yard line with no time on the clock. The go tipped off the fingers of Tyrique Stevenson wanting the purpose line and into the ready arms of Noah Brown, who was standing alone ultimately zone, for a 52-yard Hail Mary landing that gave the Commanders an inconceivable 18-15 victory Sunday and despatched gamers, coaches and followers right into a frenzy.
It was the fifth go-ahead Hail Mary TD within the remaining 10 seconds since ESPN started monitoring them in 2006. At 52 yards, it was the second longest of the bunch, behind the Rodgers-to-Rodgers Miracle in Motown play towards the Detroit Lions in 2015.
“That was wild,” Commanders coach Dan Quinn mentioned as a part of his opening assertion to reporters. “That was a lot enjoyable, and what I really like in regards to the staff is that we’re by no means out of the struggle.”
The rookie quarterback by no means even noticed Brown make the catch.
“I simply heard folks screaming and our sideline dashing the sphere. That is how I knew,” mentioned Daniels, whose standing was unsure till hours earlier than kickoff due to a rib damage. “That is form of like a once-in-a-lifetime expertise. Not too many individuals get to expertise stuff like that.”
Daniels’ heroics got here 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 have been simply 19 seconds left after a kickoff return to the 24.
Three completions later, Daniels added his finest spotlight but to a season that has made him one of many NFL’s most electrical gamers and the favourite to be AP Offensive Rookie of the 12 months.
“We’re blessed to have ‘5’ main this staff: The issues he can do is particular,” Brown mentioned. “I would not wish to play with some other quarterback.”
Offensive lineman Sam Cosmi mentioned it was “like a film.”
“Entrance-row seats to one thing wonderful,” Cosmi mentioned. “That was simply loopy. It will at all times stick in my head perpetually. What a second.”
It was the primary sport since Nov. 13, 1977, the place every staff scored a go-ahead landing within the remaining 30 seconds.
Within the NFL’s sixth matchup of rookie quarterbacks taken with the highest two picks within the draft, Daniels threw for 326 yards and ran for 52. Caleb Williams, taken first by the Bears (4-3), accomplished 4 of his first 16 passes and completed 10-of-24 for 131 yards.
Chicago, which had its profitable streak snapped at three, had simply 172 yards of offense earlier than the fourth quarter began and didn’t get on the board till D’Andre Swift‘s 56-yard TD run late within the third.
“That is simply us capturing ourselves within the foot and that comes from particulars and focus within the sport, all through the week,” mentioned Williams, a Washington-area native who was enjoying again residence for the primary time as a professional. “That comes from myself. I am included in that for positive. Positively missed a number of passes that I do not miss usually so, robust, however very encouraging as a result of we stayed in it.”
Daniels was not himself at occasions and regarded a bit off due to the rib damage, which knocked him out of final week’s win over Carolina and saved him from working towards Wednesday and Thursday. He took a number of hits after letting go of the ball however was at his finest when it mattered.
“We knew he had it in him,” working again Brian Robinson Jr. mentioned. “He simply confirmed us immediately what he is able to and the way robust he’s.”
ESPN Analysis and The Related Press contributed to this report.