Anatomy of a Hail Mary: How Jayden Daniels and the Commanders beat the buzzer

HAIL NOAH!!!!!!!!!!

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鈥� Washington Commanders (@Commanders)

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) 鈥� Jayden Daniels’ Hail Mary touchdown pass to Noah Brown that gave the Washington Commanders over the Chicago Bears on Sunday was one of the most memorable finishes to an NFL game in recent history. It went down as a 52-yard completion with the clock expired, but in reality it was a much longer throw and a product of hours of preparation.

Here’s how it went down.

The situation

After failing to score a touchdown all game and going 0 for 3 in the red zone, the Commanders fell behind with 25 seconds left on Roschon Johnson’s 1-yard TD run that came after a pass interference penalty on Benjamin St-Juste and the ensuing 2-point conversation that made it 15-12 Bears.

Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards: 鈥淥ffense did an awesome job of scoring and giving us the lead.鈥�

Commanders running back Brian Robinson: 鈥淲e knew we shouldn鈥檛 have been down. That鈥檚 something that the whole locker room knew. We knew we had another opportunity, as well.鈥�

After a 24-yard kickoff return by Austin Ekeler, there were just 19 seconds on the clock.

Commanders coach Dan Quinn: 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have timeouts. We used one early, obviously.鈥�

An incomplete pass was followed by Daniels finding Ertz for an 11-yard gain and Terry McLaurin for 13 to get almost to midfield.

Commanders center Tyler Biadasz: 鈥淭hose plays leading up to the Hail Mary, those are huge plays.鈥�

McLaurin: 鈥淲e just wanted to give ourselves a chance to put it in position for Jayden to throw the ball down there.鈥�

Bears coach Matt Eberflus: 鈥淵ou鈥檙e defending a touchdown there, and them throwing a ball for 13 yards or 10 yards, whatever it is, really doesn鈥檛 matter.”

Quinn: 鈥淚 thought we鈥檇 had a chance if we could get up the field some. And so that鈥檚 what I was trying to get to.鈥�

The preparation

McLaurin: 鈥淲e know we had enough time left. We practice that literally a few times a week in those situations, got-to-have it situations.鈥�

Commanders right guard Sam Cosmi: 鈥淚f you don鈥檛 practice it, it鈥檚 not going to come to fruition. If you practice it, then you鈥檒l be ready for that moment.鈥�

Commanders tight end Zach Ertz: “We walk through the play. Never like full-speed reps. Obviously you鈥檙e not going to just burn 70-yard sprints in practice. But we talk about it. I鈥檓 kind of the jumper, per se, and then you鈥檝e got a receiver in front, a receiver behind.

Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu: 鈥淚 was just walking down just telling guys, 鈥楬ead up, man, it鈥檚 not over yet.’鈥�

There were 2 seconds left on the clock.

Daniels: “Buy some time and don鈥檛 throw the ball out of bounds Try to give your guys an opportunity.'”

Brown: 鈥淲e are a team full of fighters. We don鈥檛 give up to the final whistle.”

The scramble

The Bears sent three pass rushers, with the remaining eight defenders dropping into coverage. Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson had his back to the line of scrimmage and when the ball was snapped.

Eberflus: 鈥淲e chose to do the three-man rush. I think he had the ball for over 12 seconds, and I鈥檓 not sure what happened back there in terms of blocking and getting after the quarterback.鈥�

Commanders left guard Nick Allegretti: 鈥淚t鈥檚 chaos. You鈥檙e just trying to hit somebody in a different color jersey, give Jayden a shot to rip the ball.鈥�

Cosmi: 鈥淭wo of them went this way, came back, swung around to the left. Nick cleaned somebody鈥檚 clock.鈥�

McLaurin: 鈥淵ou got guys dumping guys on the ground. We know that鈥檚 a physical play, and you got a chance that you can make a play and change the game.鈥�

Edwards 鈥淗e鈥檚 fast, right? He does a good job of keeping the play alive. It鈥檚 a long time for our guys to be covering stuff like that.鈥�

Quinn: 鈥淛ayden did a fantastic job of buying time, buying time, over to the right side. I don鈥檛 know how long the play was. … Thirteen seconds? Yeah, I felt every bit of them.

Commanders center Tyler Biadasz: 鈥淲e just wanted to give him time. Jay did a great job of scrambling around like he did to get to a stop. Having all the wideouts and the tight ends get down there, that鈥檚 the biggest part for that type of play.鈥�

Brown: 鈥淭ry and get down there as fast as you can, box out, keep good position and hope Jayden can get the ball down there. He did a phenomenal job keeping the play alive.”

The throw

Daniels, , heaved the ball up from the Washington 35-yard line.

Bears quarterback Caleb Williams: 鈥淚 thought it was going to be a little short.”

Daniels: 鈥淟et the guys get down there and get in kind of that formation and put some air on the ball and let them go make a play.鈥�

McLaurin: 鈥淗e has an unbelievable arm.鈥�

Daniels: “Just throw the ball up, give my guys a shot. I didn鈥檛 see anything.鈥�

Cosmi: 鈥淚 just saw him chuck it. I鈥檓 just sitting there.鈥�

The catch

Allegretti: 鈥淲hat鈥檚 the percentage on those? Not high. And it was like the perfect tip and then just one guy standing there.鈥�

McLaurin: 鈥淶ach had an unbelievable tip. It ran just like we practiced it.鈥�

Eberflus: “The guy that we were boxing out was (McLaurin), so it just depended on where he was.鈥�

Allegretti: 鈥淚 looked up on the screen and saw the ball get tipped.鈥�

Ertz: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I actually touched the ball. I don鈥檛 know what the film says, per se. But I鈥檓 taking the hockey assist, for sure. I know I impacted the play and Noah ended up with a touchdown and so we won the game and that鈥檚 all the matters.鈥�

Brown: 鈥淭hat happened to be my assignment on the Hail Mary. We got one guy in front and two in the back, try and throw it up to the jumper and Zach did a great job getting a hand on the ball, allowing it to get back to me and we made the play.鈥�

McLaurin: 鈥淚t felt like it was going in slow motion, honestly. That ball fell right into Noah鈥檚 arms. I don鈥檛 think I鈥檝e seen a Hail Mary fall that perfectly off of a tip drill.鈥�

Biadasz: “You鈥檝e got to have a little bit of luck. Coach always talks about the ball finds energy, and we were in the right spots at the right time and that鈥檚 an amazing moment you don鈥檛 forget.

Cosmi: 鈥淚 see the ball come down in Noah鈥檚 hands. I just couldn鈥檛 believe it. I was like, 鈥業s that a black jersey?鈥� And then just sprinted 60 yards.鈥�

Allegretti: 鈥淚 got a charley horse so I was wandering somewhere while the ball was in the air and looked up and I was like, 鈥楲et鈥檚 see what happens.鈥欌€�

Daniels: “I just heard people screaming and our sideline rushing the field. That鈥檚 how I knew.鈥�

Crazy video I got of vs walk off

鈥� Joe Abdo (@joe_abdo)

The aftermath

Quinn: 鈥淚 felt, rest in peace, a little like (late NC State basketball coach) Jim Valvano just running around, not sure what to do and where to go.鈥�

Robinson: 鈥淚 went and jumped in the stands and everybody was just excited.鈥�

McLaurin: “In the big moments, you want to come through for your team. We were just telling each other, 鈥業t鈥檚 not over till it鈥檚 over.鈥�”

Daniels: 鈥淚 was juiced up, for sure. Excited because that鈥檚 kind of like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Not too many people get to experience stuff like that. That was my first time.鈥�

Allegretti: 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 believe it. It was disbelief.鈥�

McLaurin: 鈥淲e made it happen. It wasn鈥檛 just one guy. But for us to execute that play, it doesn鈥檛 happen a lot, I haven鈥檛 been part of a win like that in the league.鈥�

Quinn: 鈥淚 feel like I鈥檓 6 inches off the ground with a big hug.鈥�

Bears tight end Cole Kmet: 鈥淎 Hail Mary is a Hail Mary. It鈥檚 a prayer. You鈥檙e just tossing up a prayer. … When you talk about losing a game off a Hail Mary and you鈥檙e trying to fix that, that鈥檚 not really a play you want to obsess over. It鈥檚 a Hail Mary. It is what it is. The ball literally just fell their way.鈥�

Eberflus: “We did everything we could at the very end, and we just have to execute better.鈥�

Biadasz: 鈥淓very win, you never take one for granted, however it happens.鈥�

Cosmi: 鈥淚t was like a movie, to be completely honest with you. To be a part of that, it鈥檚 like, 鈥極h, front-row seats to something amazing.'”

___

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