One Commanders Coach Has Now Been Part of 5 Successful Hail Mary Plays

The Washington Commanders may have never experienced something like they did in Week 8, but one of their coaches has several times.

Oct 27, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown (85) catches a Hail Mary pass that was tipped with no time left to beat the Chicago Bears at Commanders Field. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Ashburn, VA. -- For most, a play like the Hail Mary completed between Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels and receiver Noah Brown is a once-in-a-career event.

For Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, however, it is a twice-in-a-career moment - though this one was longer than the 'Hail Murray' he coached up while leading the Arizona Cardinals in 2020.

Even that one, for obvious reasons, was much different than the one he witnessed as a Washington coach, though both are special Kingsbury says.

Oct 27, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown (85) catches a Hail Mary pass that was tipped with no time left to beat the Chicago Bears at Commanders Field. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

"The last one was (during) Covid, so there were no fans and it was just kind of us screaming," Kingsbury recalled. "So this was a lot more exciting and that was really, (Cardinals quarterback) Kyler (Murray) made an incredible play and he saw (then Cardinals receiver DeAndre Hopkins) one-on-one and took his chance, to just 'Hop' going up and making a play, and this one took everybody and so that was really special."

As special as it was for all involved, for one Commanders coach, tight ends coach David Raih (pronounced 'rye'), it's the fifth time he's been involved with a successful Hail Mary play.

"So three in Green Bay, one in Arizona, and one here," Kingsbury shared. "So he's kind of the expert. But when we got to Arizona my first year, he and Tom Clements - who is the Green Bay quarterback coach, legendary, one of the best quarterback coaches of all time, coached (Brett) Favre, (Aaron) Rodgers, all those guys - they kind of installed it like this was just going to happen. It's a normal play. I'm like, 'This (expletive) never happens. What y'all talking about?,' But they had been a part of three with Rodgers, so we kind of bought in and have been fortunate to be a part of two of them and the guys - I mean this about players not plays, like I said. And the guys just executed flawlessly and incredible play with those guys."

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