Jake Moody kicked a 38-yard field goal as time expired, giving the Chicago Bears a thrilling 25-24 win over the Washington Commanders on Monday night.
Moody, elevated from the practice squad earlier in the day after Cairo Santos was ruled out with a quad injury, made four of his five field-goal attempts in his first game on the Bears’ active roster. The dramatic finish secured Chicago’s third consecutive win.
With Washington leading 24-22 late in the fourth quarter, the Bears took advantage of a key turnover. Nahshon Wright recovered a Jayden Daniels fumble at the Chicago 44-yard line with just over three minutes remaining. D’Andre Swift, who finished the game with 108 yards on 14 carries, helped move the ball downfield with a 10-yard run and a 15-yard rush to the Washington 18-yard line. Two plays later, Moody sealed the game with his game-winning kick.
The victory served as redemption for Chicago after they lost to Washington 18-15 in a heartbreaking last-minute Hail Mary pass last season.
Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams threw for 252 yards, completing 17 of 29 passes, including one touchdown. Washington’s Daniels finished with 211 yards, 19 completions on 26 attempts, and three touchdowns, though he also threw one interception. The Commanders (3-3) were missing injured wide receivers Terry McLaurin (quad) and Noah Brown (groin/knee).
Washington had a rocky start, falling behind 13-0, but managed to take the lead, 17-16, in the third quarter. Daniels connected with Luke McCaffrey for a 33-yard touchdown, and later, after a blocked field goal by Moody, Daniels hit Zach Ertz for a 6-yard touchdown to give Washington a 24-16 lead with 11:27 left.
However, the Bears quickly responded. Just 61 seconds after Ertz’s touchdown, Williams threw a short pass to Swift, who then raced 55 yards for a touchdown to pull the Bears within two points at 24-22. A failed two-point conversion attempt kept the margin at two.
Moody had earlier kicked a 47-yard field goal to open the game, followed by a 41-yard field goal in the third quarter after an illegal-formation penalty wiped out a touchdown pass from Williams.
With the win, the Bears (3-2) continue their momentum as they secure their third straight victory.
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