Landover, MD—-The Chicago Bears exacted their revenge dramatically Monday night, defeating the Washington Commanders 25-24 at Northwest Stadium behind a walk-off 38-yard field goal from Jake Moody as time expired.
Tale of Two Halves
The Bears jumped out to an early 13-0 lead, with Moody connecting on field goals of 47 and 48 yards in the first quarter before Caleb Williams punched in a 1-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter. However, Washington rallied behind quarterback Jayden Daniels, who threw three touchdown passes to give the Commanders a 24-16 lead heading into the final quarter.
Turnover Battle Decides the Game
The turning point came when the Commanders, who had been excellent at protecting the football this season, committed three crucial turnovers that matched their total from the first five games combined. The most costly came late in the fourth quarter when Daniels fumbled a handoff exchange with rookie running back Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt while Washington was attempting to run out the clock with a 24-22 lead.
“I’m not going to sit up here and blame it on the elements,” Daniels said postgame. “I had a lack of focus there and it cost us the game”.
Swift’s Breakout Performance
D’Andre Swift had arguably his best game as a Bear, rushing for 108 yards on 14 carries while adding two receptions for 67 yards, including a spectacular 55-yard catch-and-run touchdown that helped fuel Chicago’s comeback.
Sweet Redemption
The victory was especially sweet for Chicago, as it came exactly 50 weeks after Washington defeated the Bears 18-15 on the famous “Hail Maryland” – a 52-yard touchdown pass from Daniels to Noah Brown as time expired. That loss sparked a 10-game losing streak for the Bears, making Monday’s win all the more meaningful.
“It’s always good to have a fresh start,” said Moody, who was elevated from the practice squad due to an injury to regular kicker Cairo Santos.
Looking Ahead
The victory improved Chicago to 3-2 and extended their winning streak to three games under first-year head coach Ben Johnson. The Bears return home to face the struggling New Orleans Saints (1-5) on Sunday, while Washington (3-3) travels to face division rival Dallas Cowboys.
For the Commanders, the loss continued their pattern of alternating wins and losses in 2025 and represented a missed opportunity to pull even with the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles atop the NFC East.
