Each week it seems, I sit down and write about another gut-wrenching game. An early Thursday slate, the Chicago Bears took on the Washington Commanders to open up week 6. An extremely quick game, I look up at the clock and it’s already halftime, Bears down 0-3. Next thing I know, there’s two minutes left in the fourth quarter.
The first half, despite being shutout, seemed fairly successful. QB Justin Fields marched down the field with efficient passes on one drive while RB Khalil Herbert broke off a long 64 yard run on another, however both drives ended up being failed redzone trips. LBs Jaquan Brisker and Roquan Smith got huge sacks to help the defense, getting stop after stop. CB Jaylon Johnson made a huge pass deflection at the end of the half, keeping the Commanders from scoring a touchdown.
The second half was much more productive for the Bears, as Fields found WR Dante Pettis for a long 40 yard touchdown, to put the Bears up 7-3. Fields leaned heavily on his legs, rushing for a team high of 88 yards.
WR Velus Jones Jr. fumbled another punt away in a key moment, giving Washington great field position to score a touchdown, putting them up for good.
Overall Reaction: Bears lose to Commanders 12-7
Building off of a strong last outing, Fields continued to look good in the passing game, but still missed a few costly throws in the red zone. A three-headed monster of the rushing game formed, with both RBs David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert along with Fields, as they combined for 230 rushing yards altogether. WRs Dante Pettis and Darnell Mooney were the only two receivers that really made an impact, combining for 11 receptions for 152 yards. Overall, the offensive line has been poor at protecting Fields, allowing him to get hit far too often. In addition, the receivers in general have had a tough time at getting separation from the defense.
On the defensive side, the usual stars in Roquan Smith and Jaquan Brisker showed out, while CB Kindle Vildor made a few big stops as well. DE Al-Quadin Muhammad got himself a sack as well, helping fortify a solid line. The pass defense was absolutely lock-down tonight, as they benefited a lot from Jaylon Johnson returning from injury.
