The play was cited as among the best of the 2024 NFL season.[7][8][9][10][11] It was the first successful Hail Mary in the final ten seconds of an NFL game since the Hail Murray play in 2020. Daniels was the second rookie since 2006 to successfully throw one. The game was also the first meeting between quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Daniels, who respectively were the 2022 and 2023 Heisman Trophy winners and the first and second overall selections in the 2024 NFL draft.
Headed into the game, the Washington Commanders held a 5–2 record while the Chicago Bears were 4–2. Daniels entered the game with a rib injury he suffered the previous week against the Carolina Panthers, a game completed by backup quarterback Marcus Mariota.[12] His playing status for the Bears game was not established until a few hours before kickoff.[13]
The game opened with both teams trading punts. Washington kicker Austin Seibert then converted four field goals, including a 47-yarder in the third quarter to make the score 12–0.[14] Bears running back D'Andre Swift then ran for a 56-yard touchdown, cutting the lead to 12–7.[14]
The fourth quarter began with a 51-yard field goal attempt by Seibert; it was blocked by Gervon Dexter. The Bears reached the 1-yard line, where a fumbled handoff by Williams to backup offensive lineman Doug Kramer Jr. was recovered by Commanders defensive tackle Johnny Newton at the goal line.[14][15] With 23 seconds remaining, Bears running back Roschon Johnson scored a 1-yard touchdown. A two-point conversion gave Chicago its first lead of the game, 15–12.[14] According to ESPN, the Bears had a 97.9% chance to win following the score.[16]
The play
With two seconds remaining, Daniels scrambled to avoid Bears defenders for nearly 13 seconds before throwing a 52-yard Hail Mary pass. The ball traveled into a crowd of players at the goal line and was tipped by Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown caught it behind Stevenson in the end zone, giving the Commanders an 18–15 victory.[7][14][17]
Stevenson was taunting the crowd before the play and had his back turned for a few seconds after it had started.[18]
Comes down to one last play and it's gonna be—. Getting longer by the second. You're all the way back at the 30-yard-line. Now you can step into it. Here comes the Hail Mary with the game on the line. And the ball is caught! Caught! It's a miracle! It's Noah Brown! Oh my goodness! This town is going crazy! It's a madhouse in Landover, Maryland!
Bears have eight deep, four of them at the goal line. They bring three. Daniels backing up — he's just going to have to let one fly. Goes to the right side, steps away from the defenders, gives himself some time. Now steps up, fires, heads toward the end zone, it is — Caught! Touchdown! Touchdown Washington!
Washington Post writer Scott Allen described the three's narration following the play as "Screaming and laughter and indecipherable commentary".[5]
Chicago
Bears play-by-play announcer Jeff Joniak called the play for the Bears' radio broadcast:[19]
Jayden Daniels shifting back, being pressured, Jayden Daniels, being hemmed into the pocket, looking for blockers, looking for something. He's got plenty of time. Launches, deep pass, into the area, the end zone, tipped and it's caught by Noah Brown. He was the tip man, and now this place has gone into bedlam mode. Washington, with the miracle finish. The break-up pass, into the waiting arms of Noah Brown, nobody back there. Crushing loss.
With the win, the Commanders improved to 6–2 while the Bears fell to 4–3 and into last place in the NFC North standings.[16][18] The game gave the Commanders their best start to a season since 2008, when they were known as the Washington Redskins.[20] Daniels became the second rookie to throw a successful Hail Mary since 2006, when ESPN began to track the play.[21] It was the first touchdown play longer than 10 seconds since first being tracked by Next Gen Stats in 2016.[7]
In the post-game interview, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus stated:
"We had those plays at the end, and it comes down to that last play. We've practiced that play a hundred times since we've been here," he said. "I have to look at what the execution was on that. We have a body on a body, boxing guys out like basketball at the very end. We have one guy that's the 'rim,' that knocks the ball down. We've got a back-tip guy that goes behind the pile. I've got to look at it, detail it out and make sure we're better next time."
Daniels, speaking after the game, stated that he did not see Brown catch the pass and found out only after the crowd's reaction and the Commanders' sideline rushing the field. Washington offensive lineman Sam Cosmi described the play as "like a movie", while Brown stated that he felt "blessed" to have Daniels as his quarterback and that he would not want to play with any other.[13] Several athletes and sports personalities reacted to the play, including Kevin Durant, J. J. Watt,[8]Robert Griffin III, Michael Thomas,[22]Skip Bayless, Danny Parkins, Tom Pelissero, Matthew Berry, Albert Breer, and Adam Schefter.[23]Washington Post writer Scott Allen deemed the play the greatest in Northwest Stadium history.[5]Chicago Tribune writer Dan Wiederer described the play as having "Double Doink shock value".[8]
The conduct of Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, who was observed taunting Commanders fans for several seconds before and during the start of the play, was criticized.[24] Stevenson later apologized, stating that he "let the moment get too big".[25] Many also criticized the Bears' play calls such as the attempted hand-off to backup offensive lineman Doug Kramer Jr. that resulted in a lost fumble at Washington's one-yard line earlier in the 4th quarter.[15] According to the Redskins Rule, the Commanders' win would traditionally have indicated a win for Kamala Harris of the incumbent Democratic party in the 2024 United States presidential election.[26] However, Republican nominee Donald Trump won the electoral and popular votes.[27]
In the aftermath of the game, the Commanders would finish with a 12–5 record and make the playoffs.[28] They would reach all the way to the NFC Championship Game where they would fall to the Philadelphia Eagles. As for the Bears, after starting 4–2, the Bears suffered a 10–game losing streak including multiple devastating losses. Their offensive coordinator Shane Waldron was heavily criticized as the offense began regress after they started strong. Waldron would eventually get fired after Week 10 of the season.[29] Their head coach Matt Eberflus would also get fired after Week 13 where he was criticized for his game clock management which was the first time in franchise history the Bears had ever fired their head coach mid-season.[30] The Bears finished the season 5–12, last in their division.
