Commanders key numbers, Week 8: Jayden Daniels plays Hail Mary hero

After allowing 15 unanswered points with a 12-0 lead, the Washington Commanders' chances to pull off a win looked to be slim to none. But, as the Chicago Bears quickly learned, never count out Jayden Daniels.

Despite getting his ribs treated between possessions, being on his third left tackle, and dealing with penalties on major plays and a questionable call on what should have been a touchdown, Daniels played hero once again in a game that fans won't soon forget.

After being backed up, Daniels bought himself some time before launching a pass from around the Washington 35-yard-line. The ball got tapped into the air and was eventually caught by Noah Brown.

Game over. Caleb Williams' homecoming was ruined. The league was put on notice.

This isn't the same old team in Washington. This team has a new attitude. A new swagger. This team does not quit like those of past years would have done.

You could see the swagger after Terry McLaurin caught a pass and started jawing with Tyrique Stevenson. You could see the swagger on that final play of the game, which Daniels ultimately didn't know was a touchdown until he heard the screams from the stands.

The same cornerback that was penalized for unnecessary roughness after poking Sam Cosmi in the eye, after barking at McLaurin, was the same who ultimately tapped the football that fell into Brown's arms for the victory. The ironic part is the fact that Stevenson was taunting the crowd before giving up the game-winning play.

Sometimes the storybook endings write themselves. Let's get into the key numbers from the Commanders' thrilling 18-15 win over the Bears to move to 6-2 on the year.

Commanders' key numbers from thrilling Week 8 win vs. Bears

97.4 - After succeeding on the two-point conversion with 23 seconds left to go up 15-12, the Bears had a 97.4% win probability. Four plays later, Daniels would change that to a 0% chance with his Hail Mary completion to Brown.

12.79: If you were freaking out watching Daniels scramble around before ultimately throwing the game-winning pass, you weren’t alone. The No. 2 pick had the ball for 12.79 seconds before finding Brown in the end zone. According to Next Gen Stats, he covered 40.7 yards scrambling before throwing that final pass:

5: The offense didn't perform up to its usual standard, leading to Tress Way matching his season-high for punts with 5, getting two inside the 20-yard-line. 

7.2: The Commanders continue to struggle with their run defense, allowing 196 rushing yards. D’Andre Swift finished with 129 yards and a score while averaging 7.2 yards per attempt. It was the running back's fourth-straight game with over 100 scrimmage yards and a touchdown.

1978: According to ESPN, this is the first time that Washington has opened a season 4-0 at home since 1978.

36: After having seven touchdowns to one interception over his last three games, Caleb Williams was largely ineffective against the Commanders' defense. He finished the game with no touchdowns and didn't have much of an impact until the fourth quarter. Over the first three quarters, he was 4-for-13 for 36 passing yards. 

56: Washington continues to struggle with penalties, especially once they get close to the red zone. Two major plays that constituted 56 yards of offense were called back due to an ineligible man downfield on the offensive line.

The first was a 24-yard completion to Dyami Brown, which would have put Washington on the Chicago four-yard-line. Instead, the Commanders had a first-down at the 33. That possession ultimately ended in a field goal. The second was a 32-yard touchdown pass to Olamide Zaccheaus, which ultimately ended in a field goal.

33.33: The inability to score touchdowns in the red zone has plagued Washington throughout the season. The Commanders are currently tied for the third-worst red zone percentage (touchdowns only) at home this season, scoring on only 33.33% of their red zone trips. Thus far this season, the team's red zone percentage (TD only) is worse than last year's squad (56.25% vs. 63.27%).

16.66: The Bears came into the game ranked No. 21 in the league on third-down conversions. The Commanders' defense deserve their flowers as they held the Bears to 2-for-12 (16.66%) on third downs. Two key stops included the 15-yard sack by Daron Payne that knocked them out of field-goal range late in the second quarter. Johnny Newton's fumble recovery at the one-yard lane with just over six minutes left in the fourth quarter was another huge effort.

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