The Chicago Bears host the Washington Commanders coming off of a short week, forming a matchup that seems to lack any interest from NFL fans. Something else which lacks interest is proposing boom candidates for the Bears, who have often looked dysfunctional early in the season. Home teams have major success in Thursday Night Football games, a trend Bears fans need to continue to give their season some hope.
Week 5 boom: Darnell Mooney – MISS
Week 5 bust: Jaylon Johnson – DNP
Boom: Justin Fields
There is no doubt that Justin Fields has had an undesirable start to the season, but steady improvement was shown in the second half of last week’s game against the Minnesota Vikings. The national spotlight is on Fields this week, and another unpleasant performance is bound to rile up the narrative that he is already a bust. However, Washington should be a suitable matchup for Fields, that is if the Bears decide to allow him to pass the ball more. The Commanders have allowed eleven passing touchdowns and only accumulated one interception through five games. They have also allowed 7.2 yards per pass attempt, a statistic in which the Bears’ horrid offense actually ranks in the top ten. Recent turmoil in Washington reflects a team which does not seem to be competing, which should allow for more comfort for Fields than he has faced so far this year. It is bold to bet on Fields given his performance in 2022, but if he is going to start showing glimpses of being a capable starting quarterback, it has to be now.
Bust: Kyler Gordon
This is more than just the typical bust prediction, this is more so a draft bust prediction. To put it nicely, Kyler Gordon has been awful. The rookie cornerback from Washington picked in the second round may be labeled as a bust in the near future if his level of play continues. He ranks as Pro Football Focus’s No. 88 cornerback out of 105 eligible players. Considering some of these eligible players are not even starters, Gordon has been one of the worst starting corners in the NFL. Despite the Bears’ defense being the second least passed on team in the league, Gordon has been constantly targeted and taken advantage of by opposing play callers. Carson Wentz leads a Commanders’ offense which ranks sixth in passing yards and third in pass attempts which implies that Gordon will continue to be picked on. If Gordon gets burned again, now on a national stage, “bust” labels are inevitable.
