Inside Jayden Daniels vs. Caleb Williams 2.0: A year after the Hail Mary

When Jayden Daniels embraced Caleb Williams connected the tract aft their Week 8 heartstopper past season, the 2 quarterbacks couldn't person known however decisively their paths were astir to diverge.

Daniels, the Washington Commanders prima who was drafted No. 2 successful 2024, threw the winning Hail Mary and walked into a spotlight that kept getting brighter arsenic helium won Offensive Rookie of the Year and led the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game. It was 1 of the top seasons successful NFL past for a rookie quarterback.

Williams, the apical prime successful '24, walked into a mess. It was the archetypal of 10 consecutive losses for the Bears, who would occurrence caput manager Matt Eberflus and violative coordinator Shane Waldron on the way.

Daniels and Williams conscionable again Monday nighttime (8:15 p.m., ABC) against the backdrop of Washington's 18-15 win past Oct. 27.

The Commanders (3-2) are trying to support gait successful the NFC East portion the Bears (2-2) person won 2 successful a enactment and are coming disconnected their bye.

ESPN's Bears newsman Courtney Cronin, Commanders newsman John Keim, elder writer Seth Wickersham, NFL draught expert Jordan Reid, NFL expert Aaron Schatz, analytics expert Seth Walder and NFL insider Jeremy Fowler interruption down the rivalry from assorted perspectives, including however that 1 crippled past twelvemonth impacted the QBs betwixt past and now.

How did past year's crippled interaction Daniels and Williams?

Keim: Daniels did not change. Network greeting shows reached retired to person him on; helium declined. Several days aboriginal helium said helium was "onto the caller week." He showed up to enactment astatine the aforesaid clip each day: astir 5:30 a.m.

But for others, it created a legend: franchise savior heaves 52-yard scoring walk with a breached rib that knocked him retired of the erstwhile crippled successful the archetypal quarter. "He's unfazed by those things and volition bash thing to win," quarterbacks manager Tavita Pritchard said.

Daniels already was the front-runner for Offensive Rookie of the Year earlier solidifying his presumption successful that crippled with a career-high 326 yards. In his six afloat games earlier facing the Bears, he'd thrown six touchdown passes and rushed for four. After that game, helium threw 18 touchdown passes.

But this wasn't astir stats. It was astir belief. The interaction was little connected Daniels and overmuch much connected those astir him.

"Whenever you bash thing similar that," said punter Tress Way, the franchise's longest-tenured player, "coming disconnected immoderate of these unthinkable performances ... there's conscionable this consciousness of we ever person a shot. We've got him. You ne'er cognize what he's going to do, and he's successful our uniform."

Cronin: Lost successful the chaos was what Williams did connected the possession earlier the Commanders' game-winning drive. Chicago took the pb for the archetypal clip erstwhile Williams led a 10-play, 62-yard touchdown thrust capped disconnected by a palmy 2-point conversion. It would person gone down arsenic the archetypal fourth-quarter comeback of his NFL career.

Instead, the effect started a spiral.

Four days aft the Washington game, Commanders antiaircraft coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. blamed himself for putting the squad successful presumption to person to triumph connected a Hail Mary. Williams' father, Carl, quote-tweeted a video clip from Whitt's quality league with the hashtags: #accountability and #realcoach. He rapidly deleted the post.

Closing retired games was a conflict for the Bears passim Williams' rookie season. Weeks aft the Washington loss, Chicago had chances to triumph successful the 4th fourth and overtime successful consecutive games against the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions, and mislaid them all.

Williams stru...