LANDOVER. Md. — Jake Moody had a lot of time to think over the last month.
“I’ve been working with performance coaches and doing a lot of self-reflection and stuff, always just believing in myself, not thinking about the previous kicks,” Moody said.
In early September, Moody lost his job with the San Francisco 49ers. A month later, he became a hero when he knocked in a 38-yard field goal to give the Chicago Bears a 25-24 win over the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium as time expired on “Monday Night Football.”
“That’s the NFL in a nutshell,” Bears long snapper Scott Daly said. “Things happen. Sometimes guys just need changes and fresh starts.”
As they attempted to exorcise the demons that followed them ever since Jayden Daniels’ 52-yard Hail Mary a year ago, the Bears turned to someone who didn’t live through that experience and who barely had time to meet all his new teammates. Moody made four field goals Monday, including the game-winner as time expired.
His teammates mobbed him and carried him on their shoulders after his game-winning kick went through the uprights.
“It’s a pretty cool series of events,” Moody said. “(From) a couple days ago I didn’t know I was playing, to getting lifted up by my teammates, it’s an amazing feeling. Really glad I got to share that moment with them.”
Moody missed two field goals in Week 1 as a member of the 49ers. Two days later, the 49ers waived him. This was a team that spent a third-round draft pick on the kicker out of Michigan in 2023. They made him just the fifth kicker since 2000 to be selected in the first three rounds of the NFL draft. He no doubt hoped that he would kick there for years to come.
Instead, Moody learned just how fickle life can be as a kicker in the NFL. After the 49ers parted ways with Moody, the Bears signed him to their practice squad two days later.
The Bears brought in Moody even though starting kicker Cairo Santos has been steady and reliable over the last handful of years. But in the NFL, you never know when you’re going to need a kicker.
The Bears gave Moody a chance to work on his game and his mindset in the background, while Santos continued to kick on game days.
“Just get reps,” Moody said of his mentality. “Simple as that. I like to think if you’re over-prepared for something, there’s no reason that you shouldn’t be confident. So just preparing every day as if I was going to play.”
Santos injured his right thigh in a Week 4 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. As the Bears returned from their bye this week, there was optimism that Santos might be ready to go for Monday’s game. The Bears listed Santos as a full participant for all three days of practice this week.
But the injury still nagged Santos as he went through his preparation and the Bears elected to go with the healthy Moody. He proved to be much of the offense in Monday’s game.
The Bears built a 13-0 lead thanks to two takeaways from their defense, but they watched that lead slip away as Daniels and the Commanders battled back. Washington built the lead up to eight points early in the fourth quarter.
Running back D’Andre Swift sparked the Bears with a 55-yard touchdown reception. That pulled them within two at 24-22.
Later, the Commanders looked as if they might have a chance to extend their lead late in the game. They were driving into Bears territory when Daniels and running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt fumbled a handoff. Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright saw the loose ball and pounced on it, giving the Bears the ball back with 3:07 remaining in the game.
“They were doing some type of zone read option and they kind of mishandled the ball,” Wright said. “Then the ball hit the ground and I just jumped on it.”
That gave the Bears a lifeline. The offense, powered largely by Swift, moved 36 yards into easy field-goal range for Moody and ate up most of the clock.
Rainy conditions made things tricky all night for Moody, Daly and holder Tory Taylor. They had one kick blocked at the start of the fourth quarter. Daly pinned the blame for the block on himself. The Commanders penetrated up the middle to get a hand on the ball.
The Bears special teams group was certain to shore up the protection on the final kick. Williams took a knee to set up the ball right down the middle. Daly said he knew as soon as Moody’s kick went up that it was good.
“It’s such a cool story,” Daly said. “I’m so happy for Jake.”