LANDOVER, Md. — Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has long been known for the Hail Mary he threw for Gonzaga College High School in Washington. In a showdown of rookie quarterbacks Sunday in Williams’ home territory, Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels countered with his own Hail Mary — perhaps the biggest play of his young NFL career. As the clock ticked to zero at Northwest Stadium, Daniels launched a 52-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Noah Brown. A pack of players tipped the football backward, and Brown came away with the catch and an 18-15 Commanders victory. The Commanders rushed the field to celebrate. Daniels’ only touchdown of the night erased what would have been Williams’ winning drive. Bears running back Roschon Johnson took a handoff, lowered his shoulder and powered with a group of teammates across the goal line with 23 seconds to play. A 2-point conversion lifted the Bears to a 15-12 lead. Williams hit Rome Odunze for a 16-yard pass and Keenan Allen for a 22-yarder on the drive. When Allen drew a pass interference penalty against Commanders cornerback Benjamin St.-Juste in the end zone on fourth-and-3, the Bears got the ball at the 1. Johnson scored on their second try. But the Commanders didn’t panic, and Daniels completed passes of 11 and 13 yards on the winning drive to get in position for the Hail Mary. That completed a strong outing for Daniels, who was listed as questionable heading into the game after suffering a rib injury against the Carolina Panthers in Week 7. Daniels missed practice Wednesday and Thursday but recovered to start Sunday — and looked good doing it. He completed 21 of 38 passes for 326 yards and rushed for 52 yards. The game was the first back home for Williams, who grew up in Maryland and played in high school in Washington. Football players from his alma mater, Gonzaga, held the American flag during the national anthem. But it didn’t turn into a happy occasion for the Bears quarterback, who completed 10 of 24 passes for 131 yards. He also rushed for 41 yards. Bears safety Kevin Byard watches the Commanders celebrate their last-second touchdown to win the game Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Coming off a trip to London followed by a bye week, the Bears offense found no rhythm and looked sloppy for much of the game. It didn’t help that they lost left tackle Braxton Jones to a knee injury in the second quarter, turning to rookie Kiran Amegadjie. Left guard Teven Jenkins also left in the fourth quarter with a knee injury. The Bears didn’t score until late in the third quarter, when D’Andre Swift broke free for a 56-yard touchdown. He weaved around multiple defenders and then sped down the left sideline to cut the Commanders lead to 12-7. The peak of the offensive troubles came when the Bears had third-and-1 at the 1-yard line. A touchdown would have given them the lead. Williams attempted to hand off to offensive lineman Doug Kramer, who was lined up at fullback, but the football was fumbled — the fumble credited to Williams — and the Commanders recovered. The Bears defense came up with a stop on the next drive to allow Williams to lead the drive that could have won the game. The Bears held the Commanders to three short first-half field goals by kicker Austin Seibert. Seibert added another field goal in the third quarter for a 12-0 lead but missed a 51-yard attempt after Swift’s score. The defense’s red-zone success in the first half included holding the Commanders after the Bears went for it on fourth-and-1 at their 40. Williams’ pass to DJ Moore went for no gain. The Bears held up despite the short field, with cornerback Tyrique Stevenson breaking up Daniels’ third-down pass to tight end Zach Ertz in the end zone. But the Bears couldn’t come away with one final play to seal the win. As Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams watched that Hail Mary, he felt frustration — for the offense’s missed opportunities Column: ‘Heartbreaking.’ How 17 seconds turned into a devastating Hail Mary loss for the Chicago Bears. Here’s how the game unfolded. ‘Realistic chance’ Jayden Daniels could play, according to report Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels throws under pressure from Bears defensive end Montez Sweat in the first quarter Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Viewers might be treated to a Caleb Williams-Jayden Daniels showdown after all. NFL Network reported Sunday morning that there’s a “realistic chance” that Daniels could play against the Bears after recovering from a rib injury this week. ESPN reported “all signs point to” the Commanders playing Daniels, the rookie quarterback drafted No. 2 behind Williams. The Commanders are expected to see how Daniels feels in pregame warmups before making a final decision. Daniels missed practice Wednesday and Thursday as he recovered from the injury he suffered in Week 7 against the Carolina Panthers. Commanders coach Dan Quinn said they pushed him hard in practice Friday to see how he would respond, and the team listed him as questionable for the game. If Daniels doesn’t play, the Commanders would turn to veteran Marcus Mariota at quarterback. Inactives: Jayden Daniels in for Commanders, Khalil Herbert out for Bears Bears cornerback Josh Blackwell grabs Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels as Daniels breaks free in the second quarter at Northwest Stadium on Oct. 27, 2024. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune) Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels will start Sunday against the Bears after he was listed as questionable with a rib injury. Daniels was on the field at Northwest Stadium about two hours before the game, warming up first with a basketball and then throwing passes. Several outlets reported Sunday morning that Daniels was on track to play barring any setbacks in the pregame warmup, and now he is good to go for his showdown with Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. The Commanders announced Daniels would start 90 minutes before the game when they announced inactives. The Williams-Daniels showdown was in question after Daniels missed practice Wednesday and Thursday with the rib injury he suffered in Week 7. Now the game will feature the Nos. 1 and 2 picks in the 2024 draft. The Bears previously declared out safety Jaquan Brisker (concussion) and nickel back Kyler Gordon (hamstring). Running back Khalil Herbert is inactive after the Bears activated running back Travis Homer from injured reserve Saturday. Right guard Nate Davis is a healthy scratch for the second straight game. Defensive end Dominique Robinson and defensive tackle Zacch Pickens also are inactive. For the Commanders, offensive tackle Brandon Coleman (concussion), quarterback Jeff Driskel, safety Darrick Forrest, tight end Colson Yankoff and linebacker Dominique Hampton are inactive. Halftime: Bears hold Commanders to 3 FGs but trail 9-0 Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is hit by Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu (4) on a scramble in the second quarter on Oct. 27, 2024, at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) The anticipated Caleb Williams-Jayden Daniels showdown didn’t produce any first-half touchdowns Sunday at Northwest Stadium. The Commanders managed only three field goals but held the Bears scoreless for a 9-0 halftime lead. Williams completed 3 of 8 passes for 33 yards for the Bears, who were outgained 267-90 in the half. He rushed for 29 yards on six carries and was sacked twice. Daniels completed 10 of 19 passes for 154 yards, but much of that came on a 61-yard pass to Terry McLaurin. The Bears had a chance to get on the board late in the second quarter with a first down at the Commanders 23-yard line. But after D’Andre Swift lost 2 yards on a run, Williams overthrew Keenan Allen in the end zone and took a 15-yard loss on a sack that pushed the Bears out of field-goal range. Bears left tackle Braxton Jones left in the second quarter with a knee injury and is questionable to return. Rookie Kiran Amegadjie entered for Jones and played on that unsuccessful drive. The Bears defense stopped the Commanders in the red zone on three of their first four drives, and Washington settled for three field goals. The biggest stop came in the second quarter. The Bears went for it on fourth-and-1 at their 40-yard line, and Williams’ pass to DJ Moore went for no gain, giving the Commanders the ball in Bears territory. On third-and-4 from the 9, Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson broke up a pass intended for tight end Zach Ertz in the end zone. Austin Seibert made a 28-yard field goal for a 9-0 lead. The Commanders took a 3-0 lead on Seibert’s 27-yard field goal. They moved the ball steadily on the ground during the drive, but the Bears came up with a big stop on third down. Montez Sweat hit Daniels as he threw to wide receiver Luke McCaffrey. The ball got to McCaffrey, but nickel back Josh Blackwell pushed him out of bounds before he could get his feet down, resulting in an incomplete pass. The Bears defense held up again in the red zone on the Commanders’ second drive. Daniels threw the 61-yard pass to McLaurin, who beat Stevenson to get to the 18. But after the Commanders had first-and-goal at the 7, they couldn’t get in the end zone, with Austin Ekeler dropping a third-down pass. They settled for Seibert’s 30-yard field goal and a 6-0 lead. Catch up on the rest of our coverage. 5 things to watch — plus our predictions Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen celebrates after a catch in the second quarter against the Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Oct. 13, 2024. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) In Week 5 at Soldier Field, QB Caleb Williams and wide receiver DJ Moore connected five times for 105 yards and two touchdowns, much-needed production as the duo continues to build rapport. Last time out, it was Allen on the receiving end of a pair of beautiful Williams TD tosses. And make no mistake, even in his 12th season and with more than 10,000 career receiving yards, the 32-year-old admits he needed that big game. “It was big,” Allen said. “Just to show that I’m still me. I can still make these plays. I’m on a different team but I can still be the guy that I was. … And for about five games there it was like, ‘When’s this guy going to come along and play too?’ ” On Sunday, Williams and the Bears will look to attack a middle-tier Commanders passing defense. And, yes, it’s worth noting that on the team’s trip to Washington last season, Moore exploded for 230 yards and three touchdowns. Read more here. Column: Caleb Williams vs. Jayden Daniels? Rookie QBs pump life into franchises — but they’re running parallel races. Why connection is key for Bears QB Caleb Williams: ‘Everything is about the bond and the trust you build’ Sizing up the Caleb Williams-Jayden Daniels duel: 15 eye-catching numbers for the Week 8 matchup Montez Sweat, 1 year after Bears acquired him from Commanders, is ‘happy being somewhere that I’m wanted’ NFL flexes Bears-Commanders game to a late afternoon start for juicy Caleb Williams-Jayden Daniels matchup Will the hyped QB battle happen? Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels leaves the field after a victory against the Browns on Oct. 6, 2024, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass) Caleb Williams would love to see fellow rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels return from his rib injury to play for the Commanders. But the Bears QB also isn’t paying much attention to the outside hype that would come if the Nos. 1 and 2 picks in the 2024 draft both lead their teams onto the field this weekend. “My job is to go win games on Thursdays, Sundays and Mondays. That’s it,” Williams said when asked about all the storylines around the matchup. Whether the game will feature both Williams and Daniels remains to be seen. Read more here. Bears Q&A: Is there evidence Caleb Williams has improved vs. pressure? Tracking Caleb Williams: How the Bears QB is performing in his rookie season Take the North? Lions running back David Montgomery controls the ball against Vikings linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill) during the first half on Oct. 20, 2024, in Minneapolis. Detroit won 31-29. (AP Photo/Stacy Bengs) All four NFC North teams are above .500. According to the NFL, it’s the first time since the league went to eight four-team divisions in 2002 that four teams from the same circuit have had winning records entering Week 7. The Vikings (5-2) are arguably the biggest surprise in the league. The Lions (5-1) have picked up where they left off last season after reaching the NFC championship game, and next are the Green Bay Packers (5-2) and Bears (4-2). Read more here. Vikings lose their 2nd straight, falling to Matthew Stafford and the Rams 30-20 NFC North in Week 7: Lions hand the Vikings their first loss; Packers win on last-second FG Reviewing the Bears at the bye Bears safety Elijah Hicks breaks up a pass intended for Jaguars wide receiver Gabe Davis in the first quarter at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Oct. 13, 2024. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) The Bears left London and headed into the bye week with a serious buzz building about Caleb Williams and the potential of the 4-2 team. It has been a rapid turnaround after a 1-2 start that had many questioning the direction of the offense and the support system around Williams. “People can be as excited as they want to be,” tight end Cole Kmet said. “What I can say about Caleb? He’s taken steps every game. That’s been evident. … He’s just super dynamic. He’s a pass-first guy but he has the ability to run as well, and he did a pretty good job of taking care of himself when he does become a runner.” Read more about the offense here. The streak continues. In every game this season, the Bears have held their opponent to 21 points or fewer. They did so in the final six games of last season, too, and own the longest active streak in the NFL at 12 games. Read more about the defense here.