Chicago Bears @ Washington Commanders – Week 8 Game Preview: Overview, Keys to Game, Insights
The Bears (4-2) are coming off their bye week after putting together a three-game winning streak for the first time since 2020. The last two victories were impressive beatdowns of the Panthers and Jaguars. Caleb Williams continues to improve every game, which combined with Chicago’s top-five defense led to a 71-26 margin of victory in the most recent wins.
Matt Eberflus’ squad comes out of the break with a matchup on the road against a surprising Washington (5-2) team. The biggest storyline in this contest centers on the two quarterbacks who were taken first and second overall in this year’s draft. Jayden Daniels has been outstanding so far with 1410 passing yards and 372 rushing yards and 10 total touchdowns. Unfortunately, this highly anticipated clash between the two terrific rookies is in doubt with Daniels dealing with a rib injury that might keep him out Sunday.
Marcus Mariota filled in for most of the Commanders domination of the sorry Panthers last week, but obviously he is a downgrade over the dynamic Daniels. Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler are a pretty effective combination in the backfield and Terry McLaurin is a home run hitter at receiver even with Mariota under center.
Washington’s defense was expected to be one of the worst in the NFL, however, they have been better than that with a middle-of-the-pack unit that allows 21.7 points a game. Dante Fowler and Frankie Luvu have been very effective on the pass rush with a combined 8.5 sacks. They have more trouble stopping the run than they do containing the passing game.
The second half of the Bears schedule gets significantly harder with only two of their remaining 11 games against teams with losing records. Even without Daniels, this will be a test for Chicago to see just how good of a team they have. Let’s see if they are ready to meet it.
Where to Watch/Listen
- Sunday, October 27 at 3:25pm CT on CBS, WBBM Radio (English), and WRTO Radio (Spanish).
Keys to Victory
Here are my keys to Sunday’s game. If these things happen, the Bears should have a shot to win.
- Beware of the running quarterback. Whether it’s Daniels or Mariota under center quarterback runs are going to be a big concern in this game. Containing that will go a long way to stopping sustained drives.
- Make sure Williams gets all his receivers involved. With the bye week, all the Bears wideouts should be relatively healthy and ready to go. The young QB needs to make sure he spreads the ball around to pressure Washington’s defense.
- Try to focus on a quicker start to the game. Chicago has fallen behind early in every single one of their games in 2024. They have bounced back nicely but it would be helpful if they started fast out of the gate for a change.
Don’t Tell Me the Odds
With Washington’s quarterback situation up in the air the Bears are three point favorites on the road Sunday. The over/under is also a bit on the low side at 43.5.
It’s Football Weather
The forecast at Northwest Stadium Sunday is a pleasant 60 degrees with sunny skies and light wind.
My Prediction
It’s still unclear if Daniels will play, but at the moment it seems like he won’t. If that is the case, Chicago should have a pretty good chance to win. So I’m going to say the Bears take home a 28-21 victory on Sunday for their fourth consecutive triumph.
Official Bears Preview
Matt Eberflus sits down with Jeff Joniak and Tom Thayer on the Bears, etc. podcast to delve into the upcoming matchup against the Commanders and what fans can expect in the second half of the season. Plus, catch linebacker T.J. Edwards and tight end Cole Kmet as they speak to the media at Halas Hall.
