Bears Escape Commanders 25-24 on Game-Winning Field Goal

by Jake Lax, October 14, 2025

Source: AP Photo

Week 6 in the NFL finished off with the Chicago Bears taking on the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football. The Bears were coming off their bye week and bringing a two-game win streak into this matchup. While the Commanders beat the Chargers last week and came into Monday night at 3-2. Last year’s matchup between these two teams saw the Commanders win on a game-winning hail mary. With Caleb Williams and the Bears looking to get revenge this year, they took the ball to start the game. The former first overall pick, Caleb Williams, completed his first 3 passes to help move the ball across midfield. Williams was able to find wide receivers Luther Burden and Olamide Zaccheaus, along with running back D’Andre Swift, on the drive. The opening drive ended up stalling on a 3rd down incompletion inside the Washington 30-yard line, bringing out the Bears’ field goal team. Kicker Jake Moody, in his Bears debut, hit the 47-yard field goal to put Chicago up 3-0.

The quarterback who got picked right behind Williams, Jayden Daniels, now had a chance to lead his offense onto the field. The Commanders’ opening drive saw a couple of small yardage plays with rookie running back Jacory Corskey-Merritt getting a lot of touches on the ground. A roughing the passer penalty on Chicago’s defensive end, Montez Sweat, helped Washington get into Bears territory. Jayden Daniels dropped back to pass, looking for wide receiver Deebo Samuel, right by the end zone, and his pass was intercepted by Bears safety Jaquan Brisker. Brisker returned the interception to the 32 yards, bringing the Bears to the 34.

Following the interception, Caleb Williams got right back to work, finding wide receiver DJ Moore plenty on this drive. Moore was the focal point here, bringing in 3 catches on the drive for 42 yards, helping the Bears get right back into field goal range. On 4th and 8, Chicago went back to Jake Moody, who nailed a 48-yard field goal to put the Bears up 6. Washington took the field again and immediately gave it right back to Chicago. Jacory Corskey-Merritt fumbled right at the Commanders’ own 30-yard line, and it was recovered by Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon. The Bears had a short field to work with and took full advantage here. Running back D’Andre Swift rushed for 17 yards, and DJ Moore took a handoff for 6 more yards, bringing the Bears right on the goal line. Caleb Williams decided to do it himself, pulling off the QB sneak and scoring a 1-yard touchdown. Chicago now held onto a 13-point lead at the start of the second quarter.

The following drive, Jayden Daniels and the Commanders were able to capitalize on the Bears’ mistakes. A 15-yard penalty on 3rd and 6 gave them a fresh set of downs, as they continued to move across midfield. Jayden Daniels fumbled on a sack and somehow was able to recover the ball. In the following play, Daniels found wide receiver Chris Moore for a 22-yard touchdown, bringing Washington right back in the game. The Bears struggled to get anything going on their next drive, ending up turning the ball over on downs after a failed 4th and 1 attempt. As time was ticking down in the first half, the Commanders had one more chance to score. Daniels was able to complete a couple of short passes, bringing Washington down to the Bears’ 32-yard line, setting them up for a 50-yard field goal attempt. Commanders’ kicker Matt Gay came out to attempt the kick and missed it off the left upright, sending them into halftime down 6.

To start the second half, Daniels and Corskey-Merritt ran the ball all over the field. They ended up getting right outside the red zone, but an intentional grounding penalty on Daniels set them back. This forced Washington to attempt a 53-yard field goal, which Matt Gay split the uprights on, bringing them to within 3. The Bears’ offense took the field looking to extend their lead. Caleb Williams opened the drive with a big 21-yard strike to Rome Odunze, moving the chains and giving the offense momentum. On the very next series, Williams connected with rookie wide receiver Luther Burden for a 37-yard gain, putting Chicago deep into the Commanders’ territory. However, after a pair of short runs, Williams was brought down for a sack on 3rd and 11, forcing the Bears to settle for a field goal. Jake Moody came on and nailed the 41-yard attempt, his third make of the night, extending the Bears’ lead.

Jayden Daniels and the Commanders’ offense came out firing on their next drive. Daniels opened things up with an 18-yard run, breaking through defenders and moving the chains. He followed it up with a short 9-yard completion to Deebo Samuel, setting up a manageable 4th and 2. On the crucial play, Daniels found Jeremy McNichols for a 13-yard gain to keep the drive alive. Two plays later, Daniels delivered a deep strike down the sideline to wide receiver Luke McCaffrey for a 33-yard touchdown. The score capped off an impressive drive and gave Washington its first lead of the night, 17–16.

The Bears responded with a long drive of their own. Caleb Williams found running back Kyle Monangai on a perfectly executed screen pass that went for 25 yards. They continued to move the ball efficiently, inching their way into field goal range. However, their drive came to a stop when the 48-yard field goal attempt was blocked, leaving the Bears empty-handed and the Commanders holding onto their one-point lead.

The Commanders and Jayden Daniels started the drive with an 11-yard completion to tight end Zach Ertz, quickly moving the chains. Daniels then went deep downfield and connected with Jaylin Lane for a 37-yard gain, putting Washington in prime scoring position. Two plays later, Daniels found Ertz again, this time in the end zone for a 6-yard touchdown. The Commanders’ offense continued to roll, extending their lead to 24–16. On the third play of the Bears’ next drive, Caleb Williams dumped off a short pass to running back D’Andre Swift, who turned on the jets for a 55-yard touchdown, giving Chicago a quick response. The Bears went for two to try to cut the deficit to just one, but the attempt came up short, keeping the score at 24–22.

After both teams traded punts, Washington regained possession with just over six minutes remaining, holding a two-point lead and looking to drain the clock. However, Jayden Daniels mishandled the snap, and the ball hit the turf. Chicago’s Nahshon Wright pounced on the loose ball, giving the Bears a crucial takeaway and a golden opportunity to retake the lead late in the fourth quarter. The Bears capitalized on the turnover, driving down the field behind D’Andre Swift. They controlled the tempo, chewing up the remaining clock and positioning themselves for a game-winning kick. With time winding down, Jake Moody lined up for a 38-yard field goal attempt. As the clock hit zero, Moody’s kick sailed straight through the uprights, sealing a 25–24 victory for Chicago. The Bears improve to 3-2 on the season and have a 3-game winning streak going. Chicago will head back home to play the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, looking to extend their win streak to 4. The Commanders fall to an even 3-3 on the season, where they’ll look to bounce back in Dallas against the Cowboys on Sunday.