Oct 27, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown (85) catches a Hail Mary pass that was tipped with no time left to beat the Chicago Bears at Commanders Field. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Expect more from Commanders QB Jayden Daniels' second meeting with Caleb Williams

Originally posted on Washington Commanders on SI
By David Harrison | Last updated May 15, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The NFL's moment of the year came in late October in a last second win over the Chicago Bears for the Washington Commanders.

In a matchup that featured the No. 1 and 2 overall picks from the 2024 NFL Draft leading their respective teams head-to-head, it was Daniels and the Commanders who came out on top despite having less than a 3 percent chance of hitting paydirt on the final play of the game.

While that moment will go down in history, the game itself wasn't as sexy as the NFL would have liked. According to NFL.com's Kevin Patra, the 2025 rematch between Washington and the Bears should be much better overall.

"Last year's iteration wasn't a pretty game, but it had the most memorable outcome with Jayden Daniels' ridiculous Hail Mary. It was a touchstone tilt for both squads. The Bears spiraled into the depths, losing 10 straight, firing their coach, and starting over again. The win helped catapult Washington to the postseason and eventually the NFC Championship Game," says Patra. "I'm anticipating a better bout in 2025. The Commanders added Deebo Samuel to the mix and upgraded the offensive line, including trading for left tackle Laremy Tunsil. The Bears hired the best play-caller available in Ben Johnson, fortified the offensive line and added additional playmakers in Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III. Caleb Williams v. Jayden Daniels 2.0 should be much more than a Hail Mary highlight."

Statistically, the game against Chicago was one of Daniels' worst, at least from a completions standpoint. The then rookie completed just 55.3 percent of his nearly 40 pass attempts in the game, one of four times he failed to reach at least 60 percent completions during the year.

Still seeming to feel the impact of a rib injury suffered the week prior against the Carolina Panthers, Daniels didn't quite look like the quarterback that would eventually lead his team deep into the postseason.

On the other sideline, Williams was beginning to celebrate his team's fifth victory of the season, not knowing they were about to suffer their third loss and first of 10 straight, after having completed just 41.7 percent of his own pass attempts.

From a passer rating standpoint, the loss to Washington was one of four games for the No. 1 overall pick where Williams finished below 60.

Of course, each quarterback showed plenty of potential during the season as a whole, and it is that potential, along with the efforts by each franchise, that lead us to believe like Patra that this year's Commanders vs. Bears game won't likely end on a Hail Mary, but will be more entertaining in the moments leading up to the final play.