5 big takeaways from Chicago Bears’ heartbreaking Hail Mary loss to the Washington Commanders

LANDOVER, Md. – The Chicago Bears erased a 12-point deficit. They scored what could’ve been a game-winning touchdown with less than a minute on the clock. They should’ve escaped Northwest Stadium in Maryland with a victory after struggling to move the football all afternoon long.

Then Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels threw a 52-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass that deflected off Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and landed in the hands of Commanders receiver Noah Brown.

The Commanders won in epic fashion, 18-15. They moved to 6-2 with the victory, while the Bears were left to pick up the pieces after dropping to 4-3 with the loss. Here’s much more on the Hail Mary and the defensive breakdown that occurred in the end zone.

Below are the five big takeaways from the game.

1. A crushing end

The Commanders didn’t find the end zone until the final play of the day. The Bears held them to field goals all three times they entered the red zone. This should’ve been a celebration. Instead, safety Kevin Byard stood there on the field for several seconds processing what exactly he just witnessed.

“It’s unbelievable,” Byard said. “Been in the league long enough. I haven’t been a part of a loss like that, but I’ve seen stuff like that. It’s just unfortunate it happened to us.”

The Bears offense finally came alive in the second half and the defense’s “bend don’t break” mentality was enough to keep the team in the game. All for Daniels to spoil it with one dramatic toss.

Daniels scrambled around for more than 12 seconds and tossed the football from the opposite 35-yard line.

The kid can throw. That’s what hurts. He just made a good play at the end.”

—  DeMarcus Walker, Bears defensive end

“The kid can throw,” Bears defensive end DeMarcus Walker said. “That’s what hurts. He just made a good play at the end.”

2. The offense comes alive

The Bears offense was pretty bad for much of this game. Caleb Williams had just three completions at halftime. The Bears were scoreless and trailed by nine points at the break and fell behind by 12 in the third quarter. In a game that was billed as the matchup between the top quarterbacks in the 2024 draft, it was Daniels who had his team ahead early.

Yet, somehow the Bears found a way to grind out points. Running back D’Andre Swift provided a spark late in the third quarter when he broke free for a 56-yard touchdown run. Rookie left tackle Kiran Amegadjie sprung him free with a big block on the edge.

That pulled the Bears within five points. Midway through the fourth quarter, the Bears had an 84-yard drive that ended with a fumble at the 1-yard line (more on that in a minute). And still, the defense gave the Bears one more chance.

Williams and the offense took over with 4:21 remaining in the game, needing a touchdown. They went 62 yards for what could’ve been the game-winning score. Along the way, receiver Keenan Allen drew a defensive pass interference penalty on a fourth down to keep the drive alive.

It was running back Roschon Johnson who punched in a 1-yard score.

“It’s a big step to be down a couple of scores there and to be able to come back and take the lead,” tight end Cole Kmet said.

3. Doug Kramer’s goal-line fumble

So, about that fumble at the 1-yard line. The Bears hadn’t held the lead all afternoon. They were trying to cap off what was at that point an 84-yard drive. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron sent out the jumbo package, which includes backup lineman Doug Kramer at the fullback position. The Bears have had success with that package, enough success that they released their fullback Khari Blasingame this week.

On third-and-goal from the 1-yard line, Williams handed off to Kramer, but the exchange wasn’t clean and they fumbled the football.

At that spot, after slogging through three and a half quarters of football, it was a curious call. Kramer has never logged an NFL carry.

“It’s a one-yard play and we felt like a big guy like that taking a dive could do that,” Eberflus said.

Williams said he had 100% confidence in the play.

“Just didn’t go that way,” Williams said. “We’ve just got to execute. Got to be better and protect the football.”

It felt like a crushing result at the moment. But with the Commanders pinned deep, the Bears defense found a way to stop them and give the offense one last shot.

4. Braxton Jones, Teven Jenkins exit game

Bears starting left tackle Braxton Jones and starting left guard Teven Jenkins both exited the game with knee injuries. Amegadjie, the rookie third-round pick out of Yale, played left tackle the entire second half.

When Jenkins left late in the game, the Bears first played backup Bill Murray at left guard. But then Murray exited with a chest injury and they put Kramer in. Then Jenkins briefly returned for the goal line situation when Kramer went to fullback. After the Kramer fumble, Jenkins remained down on the field for several minutes and never returned to the game.

If either of those two are out for extended time, the Bears will definitely need some reinforcements on the offensive line.

Prior to Sunday, Amegadjie had played just nine snaps on offense. The Hinsdale Central alum missed most of training camp as he recovered from offseason quad surgery. Amegadjie did not see any action in the preseason and did not see his first NFL action until Week 4.

“Would’ve been better with the win but it was fun to play football again,” Amegadjie said. “Fun to play NFL football. A step up from the last time I played football in the Ivy League.”

5. Williams struggles in big showdown

Even though he pulled the Bears into the lead late, this was not Williams’ best game. He completed just 10 of 24 passes for 131 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions. He also rushed for 41 yards on 10 carries.

Offensive line issues ahead of him certainly didn’t help, particularly with the injuries. The Bears punted seven times and turned the ball over on downs once.

His accuracy early in this game was off the mark.

“That’s just us shooting ourselves in the foot and that comes from details and focus,” Williams said. “In the game, throughout the week, that comes from myself, I’m included in that for sure. I definitely missed a few passes that I don’t miss typically. Tough, but very encouraging because we stayed in it.”

Daniels, meanwhile, showcased his trademark deep ball. It wasn’t just on the Hail Mary. He also connected with Terry McLaurin for a 61-yard gain earlier in the game.