Hogs Haven
The Athletic (paywall)
“Never been on a team that did one before,” Commanders defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw said last Wednesday.
“I am now.”
Kinlaw wasn’t in Washington last season, but he, like 24,890,000 other people, watched the final seconds of the Commanders’ game last October against the Chicago Bears. For 59 minutes and 58 seconds, the afternoon was one of the most frustrating for the home team all season. Despite outpacing Chicago in total yards (481-307) and first downs (23-15), and despite committing fewer penalties, Washington didn’t put Chicago away. And after leading all game, the Commanders couldn’t hold onto the lead, with the Bears going ahead, 15-12, with 25 seconds left. Chicago still led with two seconds left, with Washington 52 yards away from the end zone.
And then …
In an instant, Washington pulled off the unthinkable, with Noah Brown catching Jayden Daniels’ tipped pass in the end zone for the game-winning score — and an 18-15 Commanders victory. It was the most improbable of Washington’s multiple last-second wins in a magical 2024 season that went all the way to the NFC Championship Game. On the other sideline, the Bears imploded after the loss, dropping their next nine games, some in equally excruciating fashion. Coach Matt Eberflus lost his job after the sixth straight loss, in late November, having gone an almost inconceivable 5-19 in one-score games during his tenure as Chicago’s head coach.
Almost a year later, the Bears will return to Northwest Stadium Monday night. Things are different, of course: Chicago has a new coach in Ben Johnson, the wunderkind behind the Lions’ explosive and creative offense the last few seasons. Quarterback Caleb Williams, the first pick in the 2024 draft, is showing signs of growth under Johnson’s tutelage. And the man at the center of the loss last year, Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, has bounced back and is having a solid start to his season.
In sports, it’s often considered anathema to look back. But The Athletic spoke with many of the people who were involved in the Hail Mary last season, some who watched in disbelief on the sideline and the legendary play-by-play man who called it for CBS.
Washington Post (paywall)
Do you believe in momentum? What happened after last October’s meeting between Washington and Chicago suggests it’s real. Just ask a psychology researcher.
[A]s the Commanders and Bearsmeet again at Northwest Stadium on Monday night, players and coaches on both teams have been reticent to revisit the play that capped an improbable 18-15 victory for the Commanders last October.
“That’s last year’s story,” Washington Coach Dan Quinn said. “It was awesome, we loved it, but it doesn’t apply to this week’s game at all.”
“We’re a new team,” Bears Coach Ben Johnson, who was...
