The Chicago Bears avenged the loss that sent their franchise into a spiral

Last October, the Washington Commanders defeated the Chicago Bears on a Hail Mary as time expired, a shocking finish that sent the teams in opposite directions

Last October, the Washington Commanders defeated the Chicago Bears on a Hail Mary as time expired, a shocking finish that sent the teams in opposite directions.

The Commanders, led by rookie Jayden Daniels (the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft), lost only three more games in the regular season and made it all the way to the NFC championship game.

The Bears, led by fellow rookie Caleb Williams (who was selected first), lost nine straight games after the loss to Washington. Chicago fired head coach Matt Eberflus amid the 10-game losing streak — the first time the franchise let go of a coach midseason — and ultimately finished 5-12.

On Monday, the two teams met again, and this time the result was the opposite. Williams led the Bears to a 25-24 win on a rainy night in Maryland, and Chicago won as time expired.

“It says a lot about our locker room right now,” Bears coach Ben Johnson said. “They’re not just believing, but now they’re starting to understand, if this thing is close in the fourth quarter, someone is going to step up and make a play for us.”