The Chicago Bears (4-2) are set to take on the Commanders (5-2) in Washington this week after enjoying a well-deserved bye week, and the game’s initial promise of a battle between two rookie quarterbacks playing at high level has lost some of its luster. Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels will likely miss the contest with an injury, much to the disappointment of football fans who wanted to see which of the two first-year passers would come out on top.
The show must go on, however, and the NFL doesn’t stop for anyone. Rookie quarterback Caleb Williams is set to lead his offense against a suddenly meek Commanders team, but the defense conversely will be hampered with their own injuries. Every win counts in the NFC North, where every one of Chicago’s rivals look like playoff contenders, so the Bears are tasked with coming out of Northwest Field with a victory and keeping up with the rest of their division.
Another week of Bears action lies just ahead, so let’s discuss all the biggest storylines going into Bears vs. Commanders in Week 8.
1. Can the Bears return to midseason form following the bye?
The arrival of the bye week is usually met by both the team and the fans with a sigh of relief, as it gives the players and coaches a chance to refocus themselves for the games ahead. In some ways, the bye came in just the nick of time – injuries were beginning to pile up, and a week without action is just what the doctor ordered. The one downside is the Bears were on a roll, stringing together a three-game win streak before they were forced to halt all operations. They’ll be tasked with entrenching themselves within that flow again and execute at a high level this Sunday against the Commanders.
Fortunately for Chicago, a showdown with Washington is seemingly not as foreboding as it was perceived to be just a week ago. The injury premier rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered in Week 7 suctioned the air from his team’s high-flying offense, and all indications point to Daniels missing Sunday’s game. It’s disappointing that the highly-anticipated game will likely not live up to expectations, but it provides Chicago with the perfect opportunity to recapture their momentum. The Bears can go into Northwest Field and beat down a Commanders unit that will likely be without their leader, and round themselves back into form all the while. The easier portion of the Bears’ schedule is nearing its end, and Chicago will do all they can to have everything click into place once more.
2. Will the offense score 30+ points for the third straight game?
I know, I can’t believe it either. Year after year of enduring painful offenses that seemed like they weren’t cut out for the NFL level, and now we don’t know what to do with ourselves now that the operation is performing at a respectable level. Their incredible turnaround from just eight weeks ago makes the whole phenomenon even more spectacular – they managed to score just three touchdowns through the first three games.
Nowadays, it’s hard to imagine any team impeding their exponential growth: rookie quarterback Caleb Williams is playing at a high level, consistently outdoing himself and achieving many career-firsts on a game-to-game basis; running back D’Andre Swift made strides from his rocky start and has become a home-run threat toting the ball; the offensive line tightened up their notoriously sloppy play and is playing solid, and the team’s three-headed beast at wide receiver has given opposing defenses fits trying to stop them.
Washington’s defense is in league with the caliber of defenses the Bears played in recent weeks, so Chicago reaching the benchmark of 30 points isn’t out of the question. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron made it clear in recent days that he wants to get his offense going early, and that should lend itself to more scoring early and often. If the defense continues to suffocate opponents as they had all season, it may not be necessary for offense to score at that clip. Still, a big day from the offense would make for a fun Sunday afternoon for viewers at home.
3. The defense will be without key starters – are they still capable of shutting down the Commanders?
The arrival of the Bears’ mandated bye week instilled hope that the extra time off would allow injured players to make a full recovery and be ready to contribute on gameday. Not every afflicted player was taken off the injury list following the bye, however, with a couple key defensive starters set to miss the game Sunday. Safety Jaquan Brisker and cornerback Kyler Gordon have already been ruled out, leaving the defense without two playmakers going into Washington. The Commanders have no shortage of offensive weapons, so the Bears will be challenged with executing at a high level despite being undermanned in Week 8.
Washington is likely to be underpowered, as well. Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota will likely be under center for the Commanders as starter Jayden Daniels nurses a rib injury. In that case, the Bears aren’t quite as disadvantaged as they were at first glance. An offense is only as good as its quarterback, as they say, as Mariota is not anywhere near as dangerous as Daniels is. Mariota’s presence forces Washington to ditch the scheme that made their offense so explosive, favoring a more cautious approach that prioritizes ball security over all else. How Chicago will counter their scheme is clear: plug the run, contain Mariota in the pocket, and force him to throw downfield. The veteran has a reputation for being dangerous on the move, so limiting his run lanes while scrambling and forcing him to make difficult throws is playing into the Bears’ hands.
The Bears down a starting safety and cornerback, and the Commanders are down a quarterback – it’ll be interesting to see which team is better equipped to overcome their key injuries.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 3 biggest storylines ahead of Bears vs. Commanders in Week 8
