BOX SCORE

LANDOVER, Md. — The Bears were returning to the site of the Hail Mary moment that derailed their 2024 season. Tyrique Stevenson talked about growth and maturity. Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels, the Nos. 1 and 2 overall picks in last year’s draft, would face off for the second time in two seasons.

Offensive mastermind Ben Johnson led one team. Defensive guru Dan Quinn ran the other. So, there was no shortage of storylines to explore heading into Monday night’s Bears-Washington Commanders clash at Northwest Stadium.

Those things didn’t matter much after kickoff. This was an important game for both teams, especially a Bears squad looking to prove that it can compete with the NFC’s best.

They certainly were competitive. They led at halftime and again at the end, emerging with a 25-24 win over the Commanders on a last-second field goal from Jake Moody, who was elevated from the practice squad earlier in the day.

Let’s look at three important factors in this game, as the Bears improved to 3-2 with their third consecutive win:

Bears learning how to win close games

The Bears had a fourth-and-1 deep in Commanders territory midway through the second quarter and went for it. They brought in big back Roschon Johnson, then chose to pass. The ball fell incomplete, squandering a golden scoring opportunity.

Later in the game, the Bears had a Rome Odunze touchdown catch taken off the board because of an illegal formation penalty on left tackle Theo Benedet, who was flagged for not being on the line of scrimmage.

They also had a field-goal attempt blocked because of poor protection up the middle.

That’s a lot of bad to overcome. Somehow, Williams found a way.

The Bears got a little lucky when the Commanders botched a handoff exchange late in the fourth quarter. Nahshon Wright recovered the ball, giving the Bears a chance to take a late lead.

Williams and Co. pushed into Commanders territory, and Bears head coach Ben Johnson kept the clock moving to set up a possible field-goal try. D’Andre Swift rewarded that strategy with chunk yards — he had 175 total on the night — which set up Moody for a makable field-goal opportunity.

The Bears’ new kicker (more on him later) drove it home from 38 yards out as time expired to seal Chicago’s win.

Bears don’t giveth but (routinely) taketh away

The Bears forced turnovers on the Commanders’ first two offensive series, setting the tone in a game that was destined to be close.

First, safety Jaquan Brisker jumped a route and intercepted a Daniels pass at the Chicago 2-yard line and returned it 32 yards.

The Bears got a field goal off that turnover, and they did even better on the Commanders’ next possession. Montez Sweat forced Washington rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt to fumble, and T.J. Edwards recovered the ball on the Commanders’ 35.

Williams scored on a 1-yard run to punctuate that drive, which gave the Bears a two-score lead.

That continued a massive turnover streak dating to Week 3. Per Bears team reporter Larry Mayer, Chicago had nine takeaways in 16 series, an incredible run that helped achieve positive results.

While the Bears give up a decent amount of yards, they’re solid on third down and generating tons of turnovers.

In the Mood-y

The Bears were in a tough spot on special teams entering the game. Veteran kicker Cairo Santos, who had made 6 of 7 field-goal attempts this season, had a quadriceps injury that left him questionable on the injury report.

It was later determined that Santos couldn’t go, meaning kicking duties fell to practice-squad elevation Moody, who was cut earlier this year by a 49ers team that made him a third-round pick in 2023. That was a risk, considering Moody’s accuracy issues, but it was a mandatory move for a team in a pinch.

Moody performed admirably in a pinch, with field goals from 47 and 48 yards, respectively, in the first half. He hit a 41-yarder midway through the third quarter — more valuable points in a tight game.

Moody’s fourth attempt didn’t go as well. The 48-yard try to start the fourth quarter was blocked, though it was hardly his fault, as the Commanders blew up the center of the Bears’ line for an easy block.

When it mattered most, Moody drilled it home to secure the win.

What an incredible performance from a guy who was cut just a few weeks back.

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