3 Keys to a Bears victory over the Commanders in Week 8

The Chicago Bears rolled into a well-deserved bye week with a lot of momentum, having won three straight games by a combined total of 51 points. Best of all, it was the offense that did most of the heavy lifting. They now hope to carry that momentum on the road in a matchup with the 5-2 Washington Commanders.

The Bears are 1.5-point road favorites right now at BetMGM, but that has a chance to grow even larger if Jayden Daniels is ruled out due to the rib injury he suffered in Week 7. Marcus Mariota would likely start in his place if he’s unable to go. He looked good in relief of Daniels against the Carolina Panthers, but facing a resurgent Chicago Bears defense might be a different story.

But whether Jayden Daniels plays is out of Chicago’s control. There are issues in their own house they need to focus on if they want to get a badly needed win against a playoff team. A statement win like that seems like the last domino that needs to fall before Bears fans and NFL analysts can truly put their trust in the Bears this season.

Here are three keys that are critical to getting that victory.

1. Health

Much like the Commanders, the Bears have their own injury worries to deal with. Jaquan Brisker missed Week 7 due to the concussion protocol, Tyrique Stevenson was ruled out when he tweaked his calf in a Friday practice, and Kyler Gordon left their Week 6 game in the third quarter with a hamstring issue. That’s three of five secondary starters who missed some or all of their last game.

The reserves who were thrust into duty, most notably Elijah Hicks and Josh Blackwell, did a good job against the Jaguars, but you still want to have all your starters on the field as much as possible. If all three are cleared for action on Sunday, then Chicago’s “No-Fly Zone” should reign at FedEx Field.

2. Stop the run

In Week 6, the Bears finally held an opponent to less than 100 rushing yards after getting gashed for the rest of the season. That’s a trend that needs to continue. Whether Daniels plays or not, the Commanders have a pair of dangerous running backs in Austin Ekeler and Brian Robinson Jr., between the two of them, they’re averaging over 5 yards per carry.

It will take a total team effort to slow down Washington’s run game, especially if Daniels plays. That means containing the quarterback on the edges, plugging up running lanes in the middle, and linebackers and the secondary hitting runners hard at the point of attack. Bottle up the run and force Washington to throw the ball.

3. Run the same script on offense

I don’t want to diminish the progress the Bears’ offense has made throughout the year, but it is true that they’ve played the two worst defenses in back-to-back weeks, especially against the pass. The good news is that Washington isn’t much better than Carolina or Jacksonville. Their secondary is a mess, and their defensive line is battered with injuries.

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The things offensive coordinator Shane Waldron has been doing in the past two games that have generated so much success will likely be just as effective against Washington. That means attacking deep downfield, getting D’Andre Swift out into space, and keeping Cole Kmet heavily involved.

Final Prediction: Bears win 38-20 if Jayden Daniels plays, 38-16 if he doesn’t.

For as much hype as the Commanders have received so far, they still have yet to beat a quality team, nor have they faced a defense nearly as good as Chicago’s. I think that no matter which quarterback starts, they’re going to have a rough day at the office while Caleb Williams and Co. keep rolling. This will be Chicago’s fourth straight win, a feat they’ve not managed since 2018.

Such a convincing win over a team that’s primarily been a media darling would surely help the rest of the NFL world take the Bears seriously. The success of the NFC North isn’t based on just because of Detroit, Minnesota, and Green Bay. The whole division is strong, including Chicago.