October 24, 2010, marked a significant moment for a former player of the Washington Redskins.
The Redskins entered the game with a record of 3-3, facing off against the 4-2 Bears in Chicago. It was a beautiful fall afternoon with a kickoff temperature of a pleasant 67 degrees. Many fans of Washington do not recall the mention of this game initially, nor do they remember that Washington triumphed over the Bears with a score of 17-14 that day.
One aspect that has largely gone unnoticed is that Washington fumbled the ball six times during the game, yet they only lost one of those fumbles. A lot of Washington supporters remember the exceptional performance by cornerback DeAngelo Hall. Hall managed to intercept Bears quarterback Jay Cutler not once, not twice, not three times, but an astonishing four times! His four interceptions significantly contributed to the Redskins defense achieving six takeaways during the game, giving them a turnover margin of 6-3.
I had completely forgotten that all four of Hall’s interceptions took place in the second half. “I just remember feeling like, man, we got to make a play,” Hall reminisced. The Redskins were behind 14-10 in the third quarter. “Devin Hester was a great receiver, but I’m like, I can beat this dude out of his break. So at the Washington 47-yard line, Cutler looked to his right for Hester. Cutler didn’t lead Hester far enough out, and Hall broke on the ball for the interception.
During the Bears’ next possession, the ball was situated at the Redskins’ 13-yard line. Cutler lazily tossed a risky pass toward his right, which Hall anticipated, intercepted, and sprinted 92 yards down the left sideline for the go-ahead touchdown with 1:36 left in the third quarter.
With 10:10 left in the last quarter, the Bears found themselves deep in their own territory. Cutler gazed to the right, and Hall intercepted a slant route, recording his third interception of the half. Then, with 2:23 remaining, the Bears were at their own 47 when Cutler attempted a deep throw, with Hall already positioned deep, anticipating the go route.
“The last pick, two minutes left, they actually had a chance; Jay just threw it up,” Hall expressed. That was incredible. I felt like Michael Jordan in the zone… couldn’t miss a shot.”
A historical occasion for Hall, who would go on to spend 14 seasons in the NFL, with the final 9.5 seasons playing in the team’s burgundy and gold colors.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Remembering a record-breaking day in Commanders’ history
