For three quarters, the highly anticipated battle between rookie quarterback stars Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels did not live up to its billing.
Then, drama broke out in the nation’s capital in the final quarter
Daniels and the Commanders stunned Williams and the Bears with a successful Hail Mary as the clock showed zeroes, pulling out a miraculous 18-15 win on home turf.
It seemed as if Chicago was going to come out with a victory when a Roschon Johnson touchdown with 23 seconds left lifted the Bears to a 15-12 lead. However, Daniels launched a 52-yard attempt as a last-second effort that bounced off a pile of Bears and Commanders before landing safely in the waiting hands of Noah Brown in the end zone.
Up until the final minutes of the game, there was not much offense displayed on either side. Neither QB contributed a touchdown until the Hail Mary by Daniels, helping the Commanders improve to 6-2 while the Bears dropped to 4-3.
It’s still incredibly early in both of their careers, but there should be plenty more clashes between Williams and Daniels. Hopefully, in the future, the two can ball out a bit more than their initial showcase, but there may not be a more dramatic end to a game like the one in Week 8.
Here is how Daniels and Williams performed in the Bears-Commanders Week 8 contest.
Jayden Daniels stats today vs. Bears
Daniels was far and beyond the more impressive quarterback on Sunday, and it helped equate to the win.
The No. 2 pick in the draft put up a career-high 326 pᴀssing yards and added 32 rushing yards. It was the first time the rookie recorded over 300 yards in the air. He also had a touchdown in the win, coming via the Hail Mary.
It was evident that Daniels was not operating at 100-percent health, as he was playing through a rib injury that he suffered in last week’s win against the Panthers.
Daniels’ best plays came via the deep ball. While it may not have been planned, the highlight of the day obviously was the Hail Mary to Brown, giving the Commanders the win.
Earlier in the game, the Washington QB completed a 61-yard completion to wide receiver Terry McLaurin, his longest throw so far in his career.
| Stat |
Total |
| Att-Comp |
21-38 |
| Completion % |
55.2 |
| Yards |
326 |
| TDs |
1 |
| INTs |
0 |
| Rating |
92.7 |
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Caleb Williams stats today vs. Commanders
It’s safe to say Williams did not bring his best for the Bears on Sunday.
The No. 1 pick from 2024 was well on his way to putting up an absolute stinker in Week 8 before the final two Bears possessions managed to salvage a decent stat line. At one point in the fourth quarter, Williams had just four completions for 34 yards, but he finished with 131 pᴀssing yards on 10 completions.
His touchdown-less performance snapped a four-game streak with at least one pᴀssing TD.
This clip of an incomplete pᴀss on a screen speaks volumes about Williams’ game for most of the contest.
He also was created with a fumble on the goal line. Williams handed the ball off to offensive lineman Doug Kramer on the play, but the guard did not corral the handoff and the Commanders pounced on it for the turnover.
As expected, there will be growing pains as Williams adjusts to the NFL level. He was finding his groove recently, so the performance against Washington seems like it would be just a minor setback in what has otherwise been a solid first season so far at the NFL level.
| Stat |
Total |
| Att-Comp |
10-24 |
| Completion % |
41.7 |
| Yards |
131 |
| TDs |
0 |
| INTs |
0 |
| Rating |
59.5 |
