Hail (Mary) to the new chief in Washington

Jayden Daniels' last-second bomb to Noah Brown that beat Chicago is the stuff of statues.

As long as Doug Flutie is standing, he’ll be asked about “The Play” against Miami. As long as Nick Foles is breathing, he’ll be known for the “Philly Special” against New England.

Now Jayden Daniels has thrown a 52-yard, last-second Swamp Thing to Noah Brown, in a town where they love their statues. He already has an identity after eight NFL games. Now he’s proven he’s capable of putting in 17 consecutive weeks of work in Washington. That alone makes him ineligible for Congress.

The Commanders went to 6-2 with this win, which seemed like a loss when Chicago took the lead and cashed a 2-point conversion with :25 left. Caleb Williams, who was taken first overall in the 2024 draft, just ahead of Daniels, had apparently pulled out a win after completing 10 of 24 passes. DeAndre Swift had a 56-yard touchdown run and 129 yards overall. On the other side, Daniels was 21 for 38, but Washington was 0-for-3 in the red zone and was on the verge of paying for it. The Swamp Thing was the Commanders’ only touchdown.

Nineteen seconds remained when Daniels set up on his own 24. Coach Dan Quinn had saved himself one time out. After Daniels threw incomplete over the middle to Zach Ertz, he found Ertz for 11 yards down the middle, and Quinn stopped the clock with :06 left. Daniels was on his own 35 and needed another first down for a viable Hail Mary, or a larger chunk to get a game-tying field goal.

So Daniels threw 13 yards to Terry McLaurin, who got out of bounds in four seconds. This irked some spectating coaches who felt the Bears should have eliminated that play by pressing with their cornerbacks. Daniels now was on his 48. It was time for him to take the game to the vacant lots, the back yards, the muddy parks of our youth.

Daniels sent everybody deep. He tiptoed his way past Jacob Martin, the first pass rusher, and then got around DeMarcus Walker. He found an island of solid ground as he straddled his 35 yard line, and let go, and the football went high and straight for 60 yards. The welcoming party consisted of five Bears and two Commanders.

Before the play, Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson was admonishing Washington fans, and wasn’t in position when Daniels released the ball. He apologized for that later, but he did get involved in the play, to Chicago’s regret. He joined teammates Josh Blackwell, Elijah Hicks, Jaylon Jones and Kevin Byard. They all leaped, along with Ertz and Washington’s Luke McCaffrey. Unbeknownst to all the Bears, Brown had slipped behind the scrum and was standing in the end zone, alert for a deflection.

Instead of boxing out the two Washington players or attending to Brown, all five Bears tried to make a play on the ball. Stevenson got a hand on it. The tip went straight to Brown, special delivery. It was so easy that Brown didn’t even celebrate at first, or perhaps he was numb. McLaurin jumped on Brown, Quinn dashed on the field with headset askew, and for a moment the local football team, with its empty but acceptable nickname, had recaptured the DMV, the way it had when quarterback controversies became bumper stickers, and the only place to be was in Edward Bennett Williams’ RFK Stadium box.

“That play took, what, 13 seconds?” Quinn said later. “All I know is that it was a long-ass time.”

Forgotten were the sore ribs that had retired Daniels the week before, against Carolina, or the fact that Daniels was a game-time decision on Sunday. 

The Swamp Thing will reverberate for years, or for as long as Daniels is upright and functioning. The Commanders will be fixtures on Sunday Night and Monday Night football. They will be part of the Cool Club with the Chiefs and the Packers and the Steelers and the Eagles. Their rivalry with Dallas, which was born in the early 60s when the Cowboys were an expansion team and Washington was all-white and inept, and neither team could beat anyone but each other, will skyrocket once more.

Any given Sunday? Daniels and Brown turned around a $6 billion battleship, known as the Washington franchise, in one given second.

Elsewhere:

Cleveland 31, Baltimore 29

– What would Jameis Winston have done in this league if he had only thrown the ball to his own teammates? He provided a hint Sunday as he threw three touchdown passes, including the 38-yard game-winner to Cedric Tillman with 59 seconds left. Filling in for DeShaun Watson, the former Heisman Trophy winner and first-overall pick went 27 for 41 for 334 yards and no picks. The Browns, playing inspired defense, raised their record to 2-6, and Winston said they weren’t stopping there: “I am certain that when I’m making great decisions one play at a time, I’m a great quarterback.”

– Baltimore (5-3) was coming off an overpowering Monday night win at Tampa Bay, but beware the second road game in a row. Derrick Henry gained 73 yards, but had only 11 carries and got 39 of those yards on one play. Lamar Jackson was 23-for-38 for 289 yards. Kyle Hamilton had an interception in his hands on Cleveland’s final drive, but dropped it.

– Nick Chubb’s first full game since last year’s knee injury showed progress, with 16 carries and 52 yards. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah had a sack and three tackles for loss but was taken off the field on a stretcher, and cornerback Denzel Ward left with a concussion.   

San Francisco 30, Dallas 24

– A 21-0 third quarter put the 49ers in a no-lose position, although Dallas (3-4) came back late and got the ball with 3:05 left and a chance to win. But Dak Prescott threw four straight incompletions, capping a tough night in which he was sacked and intercepted twice apiece.

– Rookie Isaac Guerendo continued to step into the breach for the 49ers, gaining 85 on 14 carries. Brock Purdy ran for 56 yards himself and was an efficient 18-for-26 with a touchdown to George Kittle (six catches, 128 yards) and no interceptions. The Cowboys, again, were limited by a punchless running game, forcing Prescott to seek out CeeDee Lamb 17 times. Lamb caught 13 for 146 yards and two scores.

– Nick Bosa spent the night hitting Prescott three times and speeding him up maybe a half-dozen more. Ji’Ayr Brown and Deommodore Lenoir had the interceptions for San Francisco, which moved to 4-4 and is tied with Arizona and Seattle in the NFC West, one game ahead of the Rams.

Buffalo 31, Seattle 10

– The Bills weren’t a popular choice to defend their AFC East title because they had lost receivers Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis in the off-season. They found replacements, but they also retained Josh Allen, who is bidding for a league MVP award. He threw his first interception of the year but also made the tackle, on Josh Jobe, and he went 24 for 34 for 283 yards. Receivers Khalil Shakir and rookie Keon Coleman caught 14 passes for 177 yards, and James Cook ran for 111, as the Bills had two touchdown drives that exceeded 90 yards.

– Allen has thrown 14 touchdown passes and has had at least a 100 passer rating in six of eight games. The defense allowed Seattle one explosive play, stuffed the run game, and allowed only one third down conversion in seven tries.

– Seattle had control of the NFC West but is now 4-4. A botched shotgun snap on the goal line turned a probable touchdown into a field goal. When Derick Hall was whistled for roughing Allen, he and teammate Jarren Reed got into a prolonged shouting match that required intervention from teammates. The Seahawks have lost four of their past five.

Philadelphia 37, Cincinnati 17

– The Eagles (5-2) have given up 36 points in their last three games. On Sunday, the Bengals’ longest running play was eight yards, and Ja’Marr Chase was limited to six yards per catch. Zack Baun participated in 12 tackles and forced a fumble, and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson got an interception on an acrobatic deflection by Isaiah Rodgers.

– A 45-yard touchdown pass from Jalen Hurts to Devonta Smith broke a 17-17 tie in this road win, and on the next possession rookie Cooper DeJean threw Chase for a two-yard loss on a fourth-and-one catch.  That led to a field goal and a 27-17 fourth quarter lead, and the Eagles uncorked an 85-yard touchdown drive that featured a heavy dose of Saquan Barkley (22 carries, 107 yards).

– The Bengals fell to 3-5, wasting a day in which Joe Burrow converted 10 of 13 third down and the team committed only one penalty.

Detroit 52, Tennessee 14

– Had you told the Titans (1-6) they would outgain Detroit 416 yards to 225, would hold the Lions to one explosive play from scrimmage, and would hog the ball for 35:37, they would have been smoking cigars during warmups. Instead they took one of the most unusual butt-kickings possible, giving up touchdown drives of 23, 25, 12, 22 and 26 yards along with Jahmyr Gibbs’ 70-yard scoring run.

– Three of those short fields came on two interceptions and a fumble. Another was set up by Khalil Dorsey’s 72-yard kickoff return. Khalif Raymond was the MVP for the Lions with five punt returns for 190 yards, including a 90-yard TD. Dorsey and Raymond were both undrafted free agents, from Northern Arizona and Holy Cross.

– Tony Pollard gained 94 yards on the ground, Calvin Ridley caught 10 balls for 143 yards, and Mason  Rudolph was 22-for-38 for 266 yards as the Titans dominated the stats. Jared Goff needed to throw only 15 passes, and has only 13 incompletions in his past four weeks. The Lions are 6-1 with Green Bay waiting next week.

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Green Bay 30, Jacksonville 27

– Malik Willis was a first-round pick for a reason, even though Tennessee never uncovered the reason. For the second time this year he relieved Jordan Love in fine fashion completing four of five passses, providing a 20-yard run, and hitting Jordan Reed for 55 yards on the way to the game-winning field goal by Brandon McManus.

– Love had a groin injury that might keep him out for a while. One would expert the Packers (6-2) to lean on Josh Jacobs, who ran for a 38-yard touchdown and took 25 carries 127 yards. Xavier McKinney intercepted Trevor Lawrence on the Jaguars’ 28 to set up Jacobs’ touchdown. It was McKinney’s sixth interception.

– The Jaguars (2-6) had eight explosive plays, and Lawrence found Evan Engram for the game-tying touchdown with 1:54 left, but they gave up 30 points for the third time in four weeks. When the Jags don’t score 32 points, they're 0-6.

Kansas City 27, Las Vegas 20

–  The Raiders had a great chance to take a third-quarter lead when Tre’von Moehrig intercepted Patrick Mahomes and took it to the Chiefs’ three-yard-line. But they tried three runs and got nowhere, and then Tershawn Wharton sacked Gardner Minshew on fourth down. The Chiefs still led 17-13, and got a fourth-quarter TD after Minshew fumbled to Drue Quantrill. Mahomes’ scoring pass to Xavier Worthy made it 27-13 and the Chiefs improved to 7-0.

– Mahomes had his best game in a while, converting 12 of 16 third downs, and he twice found newly-acquired DeAndre Hopkins for 29 yards. Travis Kelce was targeted 12 times and caught 10. But the defense is the constant for the back-to-back champs, and Tranquill had three tackles for loss and a sack. The Raiders had one 20-yard play all day and their longest run was seven yards.

— Minshew’s fumble was the 18th turnover for Las Vegas (2-6), which hasn’t gotten through a game without a turnover this season. The Chiefs kept Maxx Crosby from hitting Mahomes even once.

Atlanta 31, Tampa Bay 26

– The Falcons (5-3) have the NFC South lead and have two wins over the Bucs, their only apparent challenger.. In two games Kirk Cousins has burned Tampa Bay with eight TD passes and 785 yards, and threw for three scores in this one. Two of them went to tight end Kyle Pitts, who finally seems comfortable in the offense.

– Jessie Bates continued to shine for the Falcons with a pick, a forced fumble and a recoery. A.J. Terrell also intercepted Baker Mayfield in the second half. But the Falcons still have trouble rushing the passer, with no sacks Sunday and no quarterback hits.

– Tampa Bay is playing without Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, perhaps the best receiving pair in the league. Mayfield directed 16 of his 37 completions to tight end Cade Otton (two touchdowns) and rookie runner Bucky Irving. Down 14, Tampa Bay got a safety on a fumbled handoff by the Falcons, and Mayfield hit Otton to cut the lead to five. A missed field goal by Yonghoe Koo gave Tampa Bay a chance, but Mayfield couldn’t connect on the Hail Mary. Only one allowed per weekend.

Houston 23, Indianapolis 20

– The Texans (5-3) buttressed their lead in the AFC South but lost Stefon Diggs to a non-contact injury. They already are more deliberate without Nico Collins. Joe Mixon had another strong rushing game, and CJ Stroud hit Tank Dell with a 7-yard touchdown after Jalen Pitre’s interception.

– The Colts are 4-4 and have to be wondering about their choice of Anthony Richardson at quarterback. They knew he was raw, but the NFL sophomore was 10 for 32 on Sunday and asked out of the game at one point because he was fatigued. Richardson was sacked five times, but then he did what he does approximately twice a game – make a majestic throw, this one a 69-yarder to Josh Downs for a score, that makes a team fall in love again.

– Indianapolis had 11 tackles for loss and hit Stroud nine times, keeping the Colts in the game. But Richardson couldn’t capitalize in the fourth quarter. He was sacked by Danielle Hunter on one fourth down, and at the end he didn’t get out of bounds on a 26-yard run that took 26 seconds off the clock. The Colts had one last play from their own 49, and Richardson was again sacked by Hunter and fumbled.

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Arizona 28, Miami 27

– James Conner is one of the most steadfast runners in the NFL, and his fourth-quarter persistence helped determine this one. Down by nine points, Arizona (4-4) got a two-yard touchdown from Conner. The defense made the Dolphins punt, and the Cardinals had the ball for the final five minutes, leading to a game-winning 34-yard field goal by Chad Ryland. Conner got the ball in six of the last seven plays, including a 17-yarder to get Arizona to the Miami 33. He carried 20 times for 53 yards but was more important than that.

– Tua Tagovailoa had missed four games with a concussion. When he returned Sunday and dodged a big hit by sliding, the home fans stood and cheered. He was 28-for-38 for 234 yards and a touchdown,  and Da’Von Achane had a 47-yard run and got 97 in 10 carries and also caught a touchdown, but the problems for Miami (2-5) weren’t on offense.

-= Tight end Trey McBride continues to develop, catching nine of Kyler Murray’s passes for 124 yards, and Marvin Harrison had a breakout game with six catches for 111 yards. Murray is hanging in the pocket more, with only five rush attempts on Sunday.

L.A. Rams 30, Minnesota 20

– Sean McVay came to the Rams in 2017 as a 30-year-old offensive coordinator. On Thursday he won his 90th game and became the biggest winner in franchise history, passing John Robinson. He’s also been to two Super Bowls and won one.

– Kyren Williams could have become the fourth back since 2000 to rush for  touchdown in 10 consecutive games. He didn’t do that, but he did catch one of Matthew Stafford’s four scoring passes, tying Derrick Henry for the longest current TD streak. The Rams also had starting receivers Puca Nucua and Cooper Kupp for the first time since the season opener, and Nacua caught seven balls for 106 yards. Kupp, shaking off rumors that he might be traded, caught a touchdown, and Stafford’s passer rating was a season-high 124.5.

– It was also the best passer rating for any quarterback against the Vikings (5-2). Brian Flores’ defense gave up four 70-yard TD drives, didn’t sack Stafford and only hit him twice. It was only the first time the Rams started the same five offensive linemen two consecutive weeks. Sam Darnold aimed nine of his 23 passes at Justin Jefferson, who caught eight for 115. Down eight, Darnold was downed in the end zone for a decisive safety, but he was clearly face-masked by the Rams’ Byron Young, who seemed despondent after the play. However, there was no call.

L.A. Chargers 26, New Orleans 8

– The Saints made big plays but not enough little ones. They had seven explosives but failed to convert 14 of 16 third downs. Spencer Rattler, subbing for Derek Carr, was yanked for John Haener, and they combined to go 21 for 41. The Saints had a chance to cut it to 19-11 with 6:49 left but Blake Grupe missed a 44-yard field goal. The Chargers responded with a 66-yard TD drive, and a 9-yard scoring pass to rookie Ladd McConkey, and improved to 4-3.

– McConkey has become Justin Herbert’s favored receiver in a short period of time. The Chargers were spinning their wheels until the two connected for a 60-yard touchdown in the third quarter. These were his third and fourth touchdowns of the season. Herbert is playing with a sore ankle, and the Saints’ Nathan Shepherd tried to twist it after sacking him. This prompted rage from center Bradley Bozeman, who threw Shepherd off Herbert and then kept shoving him. This earned Bozeman an unsportsmanlike penalty that no doubt endeared him to the Bolts’ locker room.

– The Saints, still struggling with injuries, lost their sixth consecutive game after they’d won their first two. They did get Chris Olave back from a concussion, and he was targeted 14 times, caught eight passes and took them 107 yards. 

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Denver 28, Carolina 14

– Rookie quarterback Bo Nix keeps stacking good performances. The Broncos and Panthes were tied 7-7 when Nix piloted a 92-yard drive in only seven plays, capping it with a 19-yard TD pass to Adam Trautman.  Nix figured in all four touchdowns, and was 28 for 37 with no interceptions for the Broncos (5-3), who got a 100-yard receiving day from Courtland Sutton.

– The Panthers had 11 drives and only scored on the first one and the last. Bryce Young got the start and did look more comfortable at times, but threw two second-half interceptions. Young was 24-for-37 with 224 yards, and his 74.9 passer rating was easily his best this year.. A fake punt that backfired, when Johnny Hekker threw incomplete, gave Denver a short-field touchdown as well.

– Denver converted 11 of 17 third downs and scored four touchdowns in five red-zone trips. The Denver defense hasn’t allowed a quarterback to achieve a 100 passer rating this season.

New England 25, N.Y. Jets 22

– Jamien Sherwood knocked Drake Maye out of this game, after Maye had run for a 17-yard touchdown. The concussion allowed Jacoby Brissett a do-over for New England, and he responded. Brissett went 15 for 24 and led the Patriots to the game-winning drive in the final minute, a 1-yard TD by Rhamondre Stevenson. This followed coach Jerod Mayo’s observation that the Patriots were “a soft team” in losing to Jacksonville last week.

– The last drive featured two third-down conversions from Brissett to Kaydron Boutte, and Stevenson scored on fourth-and-goal. The Jets got the ball with 0:22 left, and Aaron Rodgers could only manage a 16-yard pass to Davante Adams.

– Both teams are a richly-deserved 2-6. Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein continued to struggle, with a missed extra point and a missed field goal.  Rodgers was 17 for 28 with two touchdown passes and Garrett Wilson caught five balls for 113 yards.