LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — 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. “Buy some time and don’t throw the ball out of bounds," Daniels said.
Daniels scrambled around for nearly 13 seconds 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 52-yard Hail Mary touchdown 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.
“I just heard people screaming and our sideline rushing the field. That’s how I knew,” said Daniels, whose status was uncertain until hours before kickoff because of a rib injury . “That’s kind of like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Not too many people get to experience stuff like that.” 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. “We’re bles.
