Washington rookie Jayden Daniels completed a stunning 52-yard touchdown pass on Sunday’s final play to give the Commanders a shocking 18-15 victory over Chicago while the NFL champion Kansas City Chiefs stayed unbeaten.
Daniels, questionable until game time with a rib injury, scrambled to evade defenders then hurled the ball half the field to the goal line.
Bears defender Tyrique Stevenson tipped it from among a pack of players and into the end zone, where Noah Brown caught it for an astonishing “Hail Mary” game-winning touchdown.
“I was juiced up for sure. It was exciting,” Daniels said. “That’s like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. That was my first time.
“Just threw the ball up. I didn’t see anything. I just heard people screaming and our sidelined rushing the field. That’s how I knew.”
Daniels, who completed 21-of-38 passes for 326 yards, called it a miraculous play.
“Nothing but God, man,” Daniels said. “Without Him, I don’t think I would even be playing this week.”
At Las Vegas, Patrick Mahomes threw for 262 yards and two touchdowns to spark the unbeaten Chiefs over the host Raiders 27-20.
The Chiefs became the seventh reigning Super Bowl champion to start the next campaign 7-0, the first since New England in 2019. Only Denver in 1998 managed to win another title after those starts.
“We played a pretty good game,” Mahomes said. “We’re building and going in the right direction.”
But the NFL’s play of the season was by Daniels, who was feeling rib pain near the end of the game.
“It’s tough when you’ve got to throw the ball, have to rotate with it,” Daniels said. “I started the game. I wanted to finish it. Nothing was going to take me out of the game.”
The Commanders grabbed a 12-0 lead but Chicago seized the lead on a touchdown with 23 seconds remaining, only to fall on an incredible play.
“That’s a hard way to lose,” Bears coach Matt Eberflus said. “I’ve got to look at it, detail it out, and make sure we’re better next time.”
The Commanders stayed atop the NFC East at 6-2. Chicago fell to 4-3.
Brown was overjoyed after catching the NFL’s first go-ahead “Hail Mary” touchdown pass in the last 10 seconds of a game since 2020.
“We’ve got a team full of fighters,” Brown said. “We don’t give up until the final whistle.
“Just try and get down there as fast as you can, get good position, hope Jayden can get the ball down there.
“The things he can do are special, even that last play, keeping his composure, fighting like hell just to get the ball off and threw a hell of ball.”
Browns upset Ravens
Cleveland’s Jameis Winston threw his third touchdown pass, a 38-yarder to Cedric Tillman, with 59 seconds remaining as the 2-6 Browns upset Baltimore 29-24.
Winston, who moved into a starting role after Deshaun Watson suffered a torn Achilles tendon last week, completed 27 of 41 passes for 334 yards. The Ravens fell to 5-3.
Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was carted off the field in the third quarter with a neck injury. He was hospitalized for evaluation but had movement in all extremities and gave a “thumbs up” sign as he was taken off.
Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa made a comeback after missing four games with a concussion but the host Dolphins lost 28-27 to Arizona on Chad Ryland’s 34-yard field goal as time expired.
“Tough loss,” Tagovailoa said. “I felt like myself… It was normal coming out there.”
AFC East leader Buffalo improved to 6-2 with a 31-10 romp at Seattle with Josh Allen throwing for 283 yards and two touchdowns.
Atlanta’s Kirk Cousins completed 23-of-29 passes for 276 yards and four touchdowns to power the Falcons’ 31-26 triumph at Tampa Bay.
Houston’s C.J. Stroud threw for 285 yards and a touchdown while Joe Mixon ran for 102 yards and a touchdown as the Texans (6-2) beat Indianapolis 23-20.
Jared Goff threw for three touchdowns to power the Detroit Lions (6-1) over visiting Tennessee 52-14.
The Green Bay Packers (6-2) beat host Jacksonville 30-27 on a 24-yard Brandon McManus field goal as time expired.
Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts ran for three touchdowns and completed 16-of-20 passes for 236 yards and a touchdown to spark the Eagles to a 37-17 victory at Cincinnati.