Coming off a close loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 5, the Chicago Bears return to Soldier Field for a home game on Thursday Night Football against the reeling Washington Commanders, who have lost four straight games.
The Commanders will be without several key players due to injuries, including sensational rookie wide receiver Jahan Dotson, and will be playing on the road on a short week. Despite all the Bears’ struggles so far this season, this game is shaping to be one of their better matchups.
With that in mind, here are three keys to a Bears victory on prime time.
More Aggression in the Gameplan
Last week, we saw the Bears play with some swagger, like a 21st-century offense. They took deep shots, converted on a tough fourth down, and tried but failed to recover an onside kick in the second half. Unsurprisingly, this resulted in their best game of the season so far.
A home game on a short week is the perfect opportunity to keep that momentum rolling. The Bears have had trouble in the first half of games, and that needs to end here in Week 6. We must see them come out swinging and putting points on the board early and often.
Force Carson Wentz to Throw
Washington quarterback Carson Wentz is having a bad week. First, he threw the game-ending interception in the red zone against the Tennessee Titans in Week 5. Then, his head coach Ron Rivera threw him under the bus when he told reporters that the difference between his team’s failures and the rest of the division’s success was due to the quarterback.
The Bears should seek to make his week even worse. They need to start the game with a lead of 10 points or more to force the Commanders to throw the ball more than they’d like, which gives ball-hawking safeties Eddie Jackson and Jaquan Brisker more opportunities for takeaways.
Plus, Jaylon Johnson has no injury designation and should finally be back on the field. Thursday night, Chicago needs to make Soldier Field a ‘No Fly Zone.'
Finish Tackles
Two weeks in a row, the Bears defense had a chance for a big-time stop on third down, but shoddy tackling led to a fresh set of downs for the opposing offense. These self-inflicted wounds are inexcusable, especially given head coach Matt Eberflus’ H.I.T.S. philosophy. This is a game the Bears should win, and it’ll be a lot easier if they wrap up their tackles and bring the ball carrier down when they’re supposed to.
Hopefully, this is the week that finally sees the Bears play a complete game when all three phases of the team are in sync and firing on all cylinders. I think the Bears will pull off the win here in front of the home crowd, 27-16.