How Jayden Daniels' fumble on botched handoff set up game-winning drive for Bears
Any NFL coach will tell you winning the turnover battle is the key to winning the game, but the Washington Commanders were set up well to defeat the Chicago Bears with two turnovers to Chicago's zero.
A third turnover proved to be one too many.
A fumble on a botched exchange between Jayden Daniels and Jacory Croskey-Merritt gave the Bears a chance to go down the field and win in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter, and that is precisely what Chicago did, prevailing 25-24 at drizzly Northwest Stadium.
Here's a closer look at how turnovers doomed the Commanders on "Monday Night Football."
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Jayden Daniels fumble vs. Bears
The Bears scored an early touchdown off a Croskey-Merritt fumble, and it initially appeared as though Croskey-Merritt fumbled away a chance to ice the game late in the fourth quarter. A closer look at the play revealed Croskey-Merritt never had control of the ball at all because Daniels botched the exchange.
FUMBLE! BEARS BALL!
— NFL (@NFL) October 14, 2025
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Daniels appeared to lose his grip on the wet ball earlier than he would've liked, and it was already falling to the field as Croskey-Merritt closed his arms to grab it.
The fumble would be credited to Daniels, his second turnover of the game, and it set up the Bears at about their own 43-yard line needing only a field goal to win the game.
With barely more than three minutes remaining, the Commanders were in Bears territory and driving with the chance to either extend their lead to five, ice the game with a touchdown or even run out the clock if the circumstances aligned. Instead, Caleb Williams was given a chance to put last season's Hail Mary loss behind him.
Williams and the Bears picked up every yard they could before giving an embattled Jake Moody a chance to kick a game-winning field in his first game with the team, and Moody was able to sent one through from 38 yards out to give Chicago its third consecutive win.
After the game, Daniels took ownership of the botched exchange.
"I just lost the ball. Completely my fault," Daniels said. "Didn't give Bill a chance."
Jayden Daniels on the late fumble - I lost the ball. Completely my fault. I didn’t give Bill a chance
pic.twitter.com/3k5SNuID5u — JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) October 14, 2025
How many points did the Bears score off turnovers?
Turnovers decided Monday night's game, as the Bears scored 13 of their 25 points off of Commanders turnovers.
Chicago turned an early Daniels interception into a field goal, and Croskey-Merritt coughed up a fumble on the first play of the Commanders' next drive. That opportunity was converted into the first touchdown of the night for the Bears.
The Commanders unleashed a 24-3 run after falling behind 13-0, but Daniels' fumble allowed the Bears to take their lead back after a D'Andre Swift touchdown trimmed Chicago's deficit to two.
Daniels' interception Monday was his first of the season, though he missed a third of the Commanders' first six games due to injury.
BREAKING: Colts Set Sights on Trade Block as Playoff Push Heats Up
The Indianapolis Colts are built to win now — and GM Chris Ballard could look to add veteran help before the deadline.
After a gritty win against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 6, the Indianapolis Colts showed they can win in every fashion. As this team continues to run through the NFL, a deep run in the playoffs is very much on the table.
With Chris Ballard staring down a Lombardi, he might be looking to attack the trade block in an attempt to patch up this squad, add depth, and get this team ready for January. Ballard has always valued development and draft capital, but this team is too good not to take a swing at a legit game-changer.
Let’s take a look at a few trade candidates that could give this team the depth they need. Pro Football Focus’ Bradley Locker listed several NFL players who could be on the trade block and suggested the Colts as a possible fit for five of them.
Starting with my favorite, veteran linebacker Jordyn Brooks is sitting on a 1–5 Miami Dolphins team. Even with an unimpressive defense, Brooks still leads the league in tackles through Week 6.
Brooks has only missed two tackle attempts this season. He’s second in sacks among linebackers, and 13th in pass-rush grade among linebackers with a 76.2.
With Brooks in the final year of his two-year deal and Indianapolis’ 35.1 overall PFF grade at linebacker being the lowest in the league, a trade for a solid backer makes perfect sense.
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Locker also floated a few other veteran linebackers as potential fits for Indianapolis, including 36-year-old Demario Davis and the resurging Jamal Adams — both proven leaders who could add stability to the middle of the defense.
Next, Locker suggests possible trades for veteran tight ends Mark Andrews and David Njoku. But with this current Colts offensive firepower and their more pressing defensive needs, it’s hard to see Ballard targeting a skill position.
There are also a couple of players I like that Locker listed on the trade block but didn’t necessarily connect to Indianapolis. One of those players comes from the same struggling Dolphins team that’s likely to be listening to offers.
I like the idea of Ballard going after cornerback Rasul Douglas, who’s currently averaging his best career PFF grade with an 82.2 on the 2025 season.
Douglas holds a 77.9 PFF coverage grade with three pass breakups across 161 coverage snaps, making him a prime candidate for a Colts secondary that ranks 17th in coverage grade through six weeks.
As the trade deadline approaches, the Colts find themselves in a rare position — built to win now, but still improving every week. Ballard has never been one to make splashy trades, but this roster might be good enough to warrant one.
The window is open — and the AFC is there for the taking. If Indianapolis wants to make a serious playoff push, the time to add talent is now.
