Hail Maryland
The Hail Maryland, also referred to as the Madhouse in Maryland and Miracle in Maryland, was an American football play that took place at the end of a National Football League regular-season game between the Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders on October 27, 2024. As time expired, Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels threw a Hail Mary pass from his own 35-yard line that was tipped at the goal line by Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson amid a crowd of players and caught by Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown in the end zone to win 18–15.
It was the first successful Hail Mary in the final ten seconds of an NFL game since the Hail Murray play in 2020, with Daniels becoming the second rookie since 2006 to complete one. The game was the first meeting of quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Daniels, the 2022 and 2023 Heisman Trophy winners and the first and second overall selections in the 2024 NFL draft. The play was named the 2024 NFL Moment of the Year at the 14th NFL Honors.
Background
Headed into the game, the Washington Commanders held a record while the Chicago Bears were. Daniels entered the game with a rib injury he suffered the previous week against the Carolina Panthers, a game completed by backup quarterback Marcus Mariota. His playing status for the Bears game was not established until a few hours before kickoff. A storyline leading into the game was the matchup between the first two selections in the 2024 NFL draft. The game was flexed from the early to late afternoon timeslot, swapping with the Eagles-Bengals matchup. As such, it was the marquee match of the day.The game opened with both teams trading punts. Washington kicker Austin Seibert then converted four field goals, including a 47-yarder in the third quarter to make the score 12–0. Bears running back D'Andre Swift then ran for a 56-yard touchdown, cutting the lead to 12–7. The fourth quarter began with a 51-yard field goal attempt by Seibert; it was blocked by Gervon Dexter. The Bears reached the 1-yard line, where a fumbled handoff by Williams to backup offensive lineman Doug Kramer Jr. was recovered by Commanders defensive tackle Johnny Newton at the goal line. With 23 seconds remaining, Bears running back Roschon Johnson scored a 1-yard touchdown, giving Chicago their first lead of the game. A two-point conversion extended the lead, to 15–12. According to ESPN, the Bears had a 97.9% chance to win following the score.
The play
With two seconds remaining, Daniels scrambled to avoid Bears defenders for nearly 13 seconds before throwing a Hail Mary pass from the Commanders' own 35-yard line. The ball travelled into a crowd of players at the goal line and was tipped by Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown caught it behind Stevenson in the end zone, giving the Commanders an 18–15 victory. Stevenson was taunting the crowd before the play and had his back turned for a few seconds after it had started.Broadcast calls
Television (CBS)
, who called the play for CBS:Radio
Washington
announcer Bram Weinstein called the play for the Commanders' radio broadcast:Washington Post writer Scott Allen described the narration by Weinstein and analysts Logan Paulsen and London Fletcher following the play as "Screaming and laughter and indecipherable commentary".
Chicago
announcer Jeff Joniak called the play for the Bears' radio broadcast:Significance
With the win, the Commanders improved to 6–2 while the Bears fell to 4–3 and into last place in the NFC North standings. The game gave the Commanders their best start to a season since 2008, when they were known as the Washington Redskins. The play propelled the team to finish 12–5, their best season since 1991 when they won the Super Bowl, and advanced to the NFC Championship Game, where they fell to their division rival Philadelphia. Daniels became the second rookie to throw a successful Hail Mary since 2006, when ESPN began to track the play. It was the first touchdown play longer than 10 seconds since first being tracked by Next Gen Stats in 2016.In the post-game interview, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus stated:
Daniels, speaking after the game, stated that he did not see Brown catch the pass and found out only after the crowd's reaction and the Commanders' sideline rushing the field. Washington offensive lineman Sam Cosmi described the play as "like a movie", while Brown stated that he felt "blessed" to have Daniels as his quarterback and that he would not want to play with any other. Washington Post writer Scott Allen deemed the play the greatest in Northwest Stadium history and Chicago Tribune writer Dan Wiederer described the play as having "Double Doink shock value". Following the season, the play won the 2024 NFL Moment of the Year award at the 14th NFL Honors.
Meanwhile, the Bears would continue to go in a different direction. They would miss the playoffs and have a devastating collapse, not winning a single game until the final week of the regular season against the Packers. The conduct of Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, who was observed taunting Commanders fans for several seconds before and during the start of the play, was criticized. Stevenson later apologized, stating that he "let the moment get too big". Many also criticized the Bears' play calls such as the attempted hand-off to backup offensive lineman Doug Kramer Jr. that resulted in a lost fumble at Washington's one-yard line earlier in the 4th quarter.
According to the Redskins Rule, the Commanders' win would traditionally have indicated a win for Kamala Harris of the incumbent Democratic party in the 2024 United States presidential election. However, Republican nominee Donald Trump won the electoral and popular votes.
The following year, the Bears and Commanders met again at Northwest Stadium, with the Bears winning 25–24.