chicago bears vs washington commanders 25-24:Epic Oct 13

The Chicago Bears vs Washington Commanders game on October 13, 2025, was never supposed to be about redemption. It became exactly that the moment Jake Moody’s 38-yard field goal split the uprights at Northwest Stadium. Chicago erased a 24-16 fourth-quarter deficit, survived a failed two-point conversion, and turned a late Washington fumble into a walk-off 25-24 win—one season after Washington’s Hail Mary shattered the Bears in the same stadium. This guide breaks down every decisive layer of that rainy Monday night.

Chapter Detailing Table

Chapter	Section Focus	Key Entities & Keywords
1	Final Score & Quarter-by-Quarter Flow	Chicago Bears vs Washington Commanders, 25-24, scoring summary
2	Caleb Williams vs Jayden Daniels	2024 NFL Draft, quarterback duel, passing stats
3	D’Andre Swift’s 108-Yard Breakout	55-yard touchdown, screen game, Ben Johnson offense
4	Jake Moody’s Improbable Hero Turn	Practice squad, Cairo Santos, 38-yard field goal
5	Washington’s Costly Turnovers	Jayden Daniels fumble, interception, red-zone execution
6	Ben Johnson’s Closing Drive	9-play, 36-yard drive, run-game commitment
7	The Hail Mary Reversal	Noah Brown 2024, Tyrique Stevenson, redemption
8	Defensive Takeaways & Hidden Stats	Nahshon Wright, 3 takeaways, run defense
9	NFC Playoff Picture After Week 6	NFC North, NFC East, 3-2 vs 3-3
10	What Each Team Learned	Momentum, one-score games, closing instinct

1. Final Score and Quarter-by-Quarter Flow: How 25-24 Happened

The Chicago Bears vs Washington Commanders scoreboard read 25-24, but the quarter splits explain why this game felt like two different contests. Chicago built a 13-0 cushion in the first half, then watched Washington rip off 24 of the next 27 points before the Bears answered with nine in the final quarter.

Scoring timeline:

Q1: Moody 47-yard field goal; Moody 48-yard field goal. Chicago led 6-0.
Q2: Williams 1-yard rushing touchdown; Daniels 22-yard touchdown pass to Chris Moore. Chicago led 13-7 at halftime.
Q3: Matt Gay 53-yard field goal; Moody 41-yard field goal; Daniels 33-yard touchdown pass to Luke McCaffrey. Washington led 17-16.
Q4: Daniels 6-yard touchdown pass to Zach Ertz; Williams 55-yard touchdown pass to Swift (two-point conversion failed); Moody 38-yard field goal as time expired.

The Chicago Bears vs Washington Commanders matchup turned on that final sequence: a failed two-point try kept the margin at two points, which meant Moody only needed a field goal—not a touchdown—on the last drive.

2. Caleb Williams vs Jayden Daniels: The Duel Beneath the Scoreboard

The 2024 NFL Draft’s top two picks met again, and the stat lines captured the tension perfectly. Caleb Williams completed 17 of 29 passes for 252 yards, one passing touchdown, and one rushing touchdown. He finished with 4 carries for -2 net rushing yards, including his 1-yard score, a tackle for loss, and two kneel-downs. He did not throw an interception. Jayden Daniels was sharper in completion percentage (19 of 26, 211 yards, three passing touchdowns) but committed two turnovers: one fumble and one interception.

Williams’ performance reflected the Bears’ broader offensive identity under first-year head coach Ben Johnson: efficient, low-risk, and comfortable leaning on the run game when the weather worsened. Daniels, meanwhile, showed why he remains one of the NFL’s most dangerous improvisors—his 52 rushing yards on 10 carries repeatedly extended Washington drives that looked dead. The difference was ball security. The Chicago Bears vs Washington Commanders result hinged on Chicago protecting the football and Washington failing to do the same at the worst possible moment.

3. D’Andre Swift Finally Breaks Through: 108 Yards and the 55-Yard Spark

D’Andre Swift entered Week 6 without a single game above 63 rushing yards in 2025. Against Washington, he doubled that output. Swift carried 14 times for 108 yards (7.7 yards per attempt) and added two catches for 67 yards, including the 55-yard catch-and-run touchdown that pulled Chicago within 24-22 with 10:26 remaining.

The play itself was almost accidental. Williams and the offense had a communication mix-up on the play call, and the snap clock neared zero. Swift ran an out route, caught the ball short, stutter-stepped through a tackle, and outran the Washington defense to the end zone.

“The 55-yard touchdown was really a game-changer for us,” Johnson said afterward. “That was a time in the game where we needed a little spark.”

Swift’s most important work came later, on the final drive. With Chicago starting at its own 44-yard line and 3:07 remaining, Johnson told Williams on the headset to “ride the run game into the victory.” Swift delivered the critical chunk gains that kept the clock moving and forced Washington to burn timeouts.

4. Jake Moody: From Practice Squad to Walk-Off Hero

Jake Moody’s story is the strangest subplot of the Chicago Bears vs Washington Commanders game. Cut by the San Francisco 49ers in September, Moody was elevated from Chicago’s practice squad earlier on October 13 because starting kicker Cairo Santos was dealing with a quadriceps injury. By night’s end, he had made four of five field goals, including the 38-yard game-winner as time expired.

Moody’s night included a 48-yard attempt that was blocked—a moment that could have rattled a kicker playing his first game for a new team. Instead, he drilled the 38-yarder with the game on the line, following a late Washington fumble that gave Chicago the ball at its own 44. The Chicago Bears vs Washington Commanders outcome will forever be tied to a kicker who was not on the active roster that morning.

5. Washington’s Turnovers: The Margin Between 4-2 and 3-3

Washington out-gained Chicago in first downs (22 to 19) and held the ball longer, but the Commanders lost the turnover battle 3-0. The decisive play came in the fourth quarter when Montez Sweat stripped running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt (17 carries, 61 yards), and linebacker T.J. Edwards recovered the loose ball. That takeaway set up the Bears’ game-winning drive. Earlier, cornerback Nahshon Wright recovered a Washington fumble, and safety Jaquan Brisker intercepted Daniels.

Washington’s giveaways:

Jaquan Brisker interception off Daniels
Nahshon Wright fumble recovery (earlier in the game)
Montez Sweat strip of Jacory Croskey-Merritt, recovered by T.J. Edwards

The Chicago Bears vs Washington Commanders matchup was a case study in how a team can move the ball efficiently between the 20s and still lose. Washington scored 24 points, but three empty possessions created by turnovers—and a red-zone offense that settled for a field goal on one trip—left the door open for Moody’s kick.

6. Ben Johnson’s Closing Philosophy: Win with the Run

Ben Johnson’s first season as Bears head coach has been defined by situational aggression, but the final drive against Washington revealed a different instinct: clock-killing patience. With 3:07 left and the ball at the Chicago 44, Johnson did not ask Williams to win the game through the air. He asked the offensive line and Swift to close it on the ground.

Williams attempted just one pass on the nine-play, 36-yard drive—a 6-yard completion to Colston Loveland on third down that moved the chains. The rest was Swift and the run game, forcing Washington to use timeouts and keeping the clock moving toward Moody’s kick. The Chicago Bears vs Washington Commanders result validated Johnson’s belief that this team can win in multiple ways, not only through Williams’ arm.

7. The Hail Mary Reversal: History Rewritten in the Rain

No Chicago Bears vs Washington Commanders recap can ignore the ghost of October 27, 2024. That night, Daniels found Noah Brown on a 52-yard Hail Mary as time expired, handing Chicago an 18-15 loss that spiraled into a 10-game losing streak and cost head coach Matt Eberflus his job.

One year later, the roles reversed. The rain fell again at Northwest Stadium. The game hung in the balance again. This time, Chicago made the final play. Johnson downplayed the revenge angle during the week, telling reporters, “What’s in the past is in the past. I wasn’t here. Probably half the team wasn’t here.” But the Chicago Bears vs Washington Commanders victory inevitably read as a reversal of fortune—a one-score game that Chicago lost in 2024 and won in 2025.

8. Defensive Takeaways That Do Not Show Up in the Box Score

Chicago’s defense allowed 24 points and 329 total yards, but the unit produced the game’s most important sequences. The Bears recorded three takeaways: one interception by Jaquan Brisker, a fumble recovery by Nahshon Wright, and the Montez Sweat strip that T.J. Edwards recovered. The run defense, which entered the game under scrutiny, held Washington to 3.8 yards per rushing attempt.

Defensive snapshots:

Three takeaways (1 interception, 2 fumble recoveries)
Held Washington to 3.8 yards per rushing attempt
Montez Sweat’s fourth-quarter strip directly led to the game-winning field goal

9. NFC Playoff Picture After Week 6

The Chicago Bears vs Washington Commanders result moved Chicago to 3-2 and Washington to 3-3. The NFC North remained the only division in the NFL with every team above .500, while Washington stayed behind the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East.

Standings snapshot (after Oct. 13, 2025):

NFC North: Bears 3-2 (second consecutive one-point win)
NFC East: Commanders 3-3 (behind Eagles)

The win mattered less for the standings than for the Bears’ belief. Chicago had lost six one-possession games in 2024, including the Hail Mary. Winning a second straight game by a single point signaled a shift in how this team closes.

10. What Each Team Learned from the Chicago Bears vs Washington Commanders

Chicago learned that it can win ugly, win late, and win without Williams carrying the offense for four quarters. The Bears ran for 145 yards, converted the game’s most important third down with a short pass to a rookie tight end, and trusted a practice-squad kicker in the biggest moment.

Washington learned that efficiency between the 20s does not compensate for turnovers. Daniels played well enough to win—three passing touchdowns, 52 rushing yards, a 119.2 passer rating—but the fumble and interception flipped a game the Commanders controlled for long stretches. The Chicago Bears vs Washington Commanders box score will show a one-point loss. The tape shows a team that beat itself in the margins.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What was the final score of the Chicago Bears vs Washington Commanders game on October 13, 2025?

A: Chicago won 25-24 on Jake Moody’s 38-yard field goal as time expired.

Q: Who was the game’s leading passer?

A: Caleb Williams completed 17 of 29 passes for 252 yards and one touchdown. Jayden Daniels completed 19 of 26 passes for 211 yards and three touchdowns.

Q: How many yards did D’Andre Swift finish with?

A: Swift rushed for 108 yards on 14 carries and caught two passes for 67 yards, including a 55-yard touchdown.

Q: Why was Jake Moody kicking for the Bears?

A: Cairo Santos was dealing with a quadriceps injury, so Chicago elevated Moody from the practice squad earlier on October 13.

Q: What was the key turnover in the game?

A: Montez Sweat stripped running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt in the fourth quarter. T.J. Edwards recovered for Chicago, setting up the nine-play drive that ended with Moody’s field goal.

Q: Did this game have any connection to the 2024 Hail Mary?

A: Yes. The 2024 meeting ended on Daniels’ Hail Mary to Noah Brown. The 2025 game became a one-score reversal: Chicago made the final play instead of surrendering it.

Conclusion: A One-Point Win That Changes the Story

The Chicago Bears vs Washington Commanders game on October 13, 2025, will not be remembered for style points. It will be remembered for Jake Moody jogging onto a field he was not supposed to be on, for D’Andre Swift breaking a tackle and a season-long slump on the same play, and for a Bears team that spent a year hearing about a Hail Mary and answered with a walk-off kick.

Chicago is 3-2 and building something that looks different from the teams that lost six one-score games a year ago. Washington is 3-3 and learning that 24 points and 329 yards mean nothing when the turnover column reads 0-3. The next chapter of this young rivalry arrives with higher stakes. For now, the Chicago Bears vs Washington Commanders tape belongs to the team that made the last play—and the kicker nobody expected to make it.

Chicago Bears vs Washington Commanders: Inside the 25-24 Monday Night Thriller