What worked and what didn’t in Bears’ stunning loss?

The Bears and rookie quarterback Caleb Williams thought their go-ahead touchdown in the final minute was the game-winner against the Washington Commanders on Sunday. But the Commanders completed a Hail Mary pass as time expired to escape with a 18-15 win. Here’s what you need to know.

Three moments that mattered

1. Hail Mary stunner: With the Bears holding a 15-12 lead with two seconds left in the game, the defense needed to stop the Commanders from completing a pass from their own 48-yard line. The Bears pressured Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels for 12 seconds, who eventually heaved the ball up to the end zone. The ball was batted by Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and caught in the end zone by Noah Brown as time expired.

2. Ballgame?: After a mostly inefficient offensive showing, Williams led the Bears on a scoring drive to give them the lead with less than half a minute left in the game. The Bears drove 51 yards on 10 plays and scored on a 1-yard Roschon Johnson run to take a 15-12 lead with 25 seconds left. The lead was the Bears’ first of the game.

3. What just happened?: The Bears missed an opportunity to take a lead in the fourth quarter at the Commanders’ 1-yard line with a questionable call. Facing third-and-1 down 12-7 with 6:21 left, Williams handed the ball to offensive lineman Doug Kramer. But the two didn’t connect on the handoff and a fumble was recovered by the Commanders

Three things that worked

1. Welcome back: Bears defensive end Montez Sweat had a strong game in his first return to the D.C. suburbs since the Commanders traded him to the Bears last season. Sweat created constant pressure and got some strong hits on Daniels, who played Sunday with injured ribs. Sweat finished with a sack, two tackles for loss and three quarterback hits.

2. Swift action: D’Andre Swift had his strongest rushing game of the season and provided a much-needed boost to the Bears offense. He finished with a season-high 129 rushing yards on 18 carries with a 56-yard touchdown late in the third quarter that changed the offense’s momentum. It was Swift’s highest rushing total since he had 175 with the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2 last season.

3. Bend, don’t break, again: The Bears’ defense has been one of the best in the red zone and proved that again Sunday. It turned away three Commanders trips in the first half, forcing Washington to settle for a field goal each time. The lone touchdown the Bears gave up came on the final play of the game.

Three things that didn’t

1. Inefficient play: Although the Bears’ offense had a few strong plays, it was an inefficient performance for a group that seemed to be showing growth ahead of last week’s bye. The Bears picked up 15 first downs and went 2 of 12 on third down. The offense also killed some drives with penalties, committing five of the team’s eight penalties.

2. Protecting Caleb: After stringing together a few strong outings, the offensive line issues returned Sunday. The Commanders sacked Williams two times and hit him seven times. Those struggles increased in the second quarter when starting left tackle Braxton Jones left the game with a knee injury.

3. Another slow start: The Bears’ offense again failed to build any momentum on their first drive. It went three-and-out to start the game after a 1-yard run from D’Andre Swift, a six-yard loss from Williams, a delay of game penalty and an incomplete pass. The Bears haven’t scored a touchdown on their opening drive this season.

What’s next?

The Bears stay on the road for another week and travel to Glendale, Ariz., to take on the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.