The Washington Commanders pulled off a miracle to snatch an unlikely victory against the Chicago Bears in Week 8. It also got one veteran figure a complimentary get-out-of-jail-free card along the way.
Washington seemed in control for the most part. D'Andre Swift's long touchdown run swung the momentum. The Bears were moving downfield late in the game when cornerback Benjamin St-Juste ridiculously gave up a pass interference penalty in a third-and-goal situation on Keenan Allen.
That was inexcusable, and the Commanders paid a heavy price. Running back Roschon Johnson went into the end zone from close range, giving Chicago the lead for the first time with mere seconds remaining on the clock.
St-Juste cut a frustrated figure on the sidelines. His mistake cost the Commanders in the worst possible way. Until it didn't.
Jayden Daniels got close enough for a Hail Mary play as time expired. His bomb deflected into the hands of Noah Brown and the rest is history. More importantly, it allowed St-Juste to breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy the moment rather than facing further criticism in the media.
Benjamin St-Juste gets out of jail with Commanders' last-gasp miracle
This didn't go unnoticed by the player when speaking to Scott Abraham from 7 News DC after the game. St-Juste was visibly relieved that Daniels had dug deep to get him out of more misery. Something that no doubt added to the significance of the occasion where the former third-round selection out of Minnesota was concerned.
"I was pissed off. But I sat on the sideline and you know what, we've got Jayden Daniels and we've got 30 seconds on the clock, so anything can happen. I saw him roll out to the left and roll out to the right. I saw him set his feet and was like, "That ball's about to reach the end zone". Caught it, and that's it. I'm here with a smile instead of pouting about a penalty, so I can enjoy the win. It was amazing. Definitely a core memory."Benjamin St-Juste
Commanders CB Benjamin St-Juste had a late penalty that set up the Bears go ahead TD.
— Scott Abraham (@Scott7news) October 28, 2024
On the sidelines though, he never lost hope."
BSJ said, "I was pissed off, but I said "you know what, we got Jayden Daniels and we got 30 seconds on the clock. Anything can happen." pic.twitter.com/b2SpXh2Aka
St-Juste will no doubt feel the wrath of Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. during film meetings this week, but it could have been much worse. Fans have all but forgotten about the error as they revel in the euphoria of being 6-2 on the back of one of the most spectacular plays in recent memory. His error couldn't be further from their minds right now.
Washington won't be able to create plays like this every week. St-Juste's performances must improve if the Commanders want to reach some ever-increasing expectations. This bears more significance if general manager Adam Peters holds firm and doesn't acquire another cornerback before the 2024 trade deadline.
He's giving up 62.2 percent of targets for 402 receiving yards through eight weeks. St-Juste is conceding a career-worst 113.4 passer rating when targeted and ranks No. 134 out of 195 qualifying cornerbacks with a 57.5 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus. That's not going to suffice versus the league's best if the Commanders want to make the playoffs.
St-Juste should take this surprising gift as a source of motivation. He might not get another one.