The drought has finally ended! On a fall Thursday Night in Landover, Maryland, the Bears secured their first win since October of last year, putting a halt to the longest losing streak in franchise history. The range of reactions that the outcome of this game could have caused is insane. The rumor around Chicago was that head coach Matt Eberflus was to be fired if the team fell to 0-5. Many fans had already moved on to dreams of a Caleb Williams-Marvin Harrison Jr. connection in 2024. All it took was another great performance by Justin Fields and a victory to silence those voices- for now, at least. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has called two good games in a row, Fields looks comfortable, DJ Moore is unstoppable, and the offensive line is coming together. All of a sudden things are looking up in the Windy City.
Fields-Moore Connection
If you paid any attention to the word coming out of Bears training camp back in August, you certainly heard a lot about the Justin Fields-DJ Moore connection. They worked a lot in the offseason, and were destined to be an unstoppable force, according to the beat writers. After only two connections in Week 1, the two didn’t get off to a good start. However, it didn’t taken long for Moore to breakout.
On Thursday Night, DJ Moore put up the best stat line of his career: 230 yards and 3 touchdowns on 8 catches. He is a menace after the catch. The Bears’ coaching staff realized that all they need to do is get the ball into his hands; he can do the rest. 141 of his 230 yards were after the catch. If Moore can keep his production anywhere near where it’s been so far this season, the Chicago offense should be productive.
Focusing on Justin, he was able to stack another great performance on top of Week 3’s game versus Denver. The way that he has bounced back after a tough first three weeks has been very impressive. It is not easy to the the quarterback of the Chicago Bears, but Fields has proven that he is mentally strong enough to do it. Next week’s matchup against the Vikings gives him a good chance to keep his hot streak going.
Eberflus’ Defense Showed Up
With S Eddie Jackson and star CB Jaylon Johnson both unable to suit up, it wouldn’t have been a surprise to see wide receivers Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson rack up receiving yards. Though QB Sam Howell ended up throwing for 388 yards, McLaurin and Dotson were relatively quiet, which was certainly the focus.
Through the first four weeks, the defense only accounted for a horrendous one sack and two turnovers (both of which were against Chiefs backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert). You simply cannot win games like this. Against the Commanders in Week 5, the unit was finally able to cause some disruption. The team nearly tripled its sack count, with five on the night. Surprisingly the Chicago defensive line outperformed the impressive Washington defensive line, which is comprised of Montez Sweat and former Pro-Bowlers Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, Chase Young. The Bears had 6 sacks to the Commanders’ 5, and 33 pressures compared to 24. In addition, the defense forced two turnovers, allowing the team to win the turnover battle 2-0. That is winning football.
On top of the increased turnovers and pass rush numbers, the most surprising aspect of the defense’s performance was the ability to stop the run. Andrew Billings and the rest of the front-seven could’ve been mistaken for a brick wall on Thursday Night, only allowing twenty-nine rushing yards. Washington was playing from behind for the entire game, but still only averaged 2.9 yards per carry. Run defending has not been a strength for the Bears in 2023, so this is an encouraging development.
Offensive Line is Gelling
Poor offensive line play was one of the biggest stories regarding the 2022 Bears. Still, I had high hopes for the unit coming into 2023 with the addition of first round draft pick Darnell Wright plugging into the right tackle spot. Right Guard Teven Jenkins- the team’s highest PFF scorer in 2022 (80.7)– missing the first four games certainly made things difficult. In addition, free agent signing Nate Davis missed the first three games due to personal issues. While now left tackle Braxton Jones is injured, 4 out of the 5 expected starters coming into the season played on Thursday. Jenkins was great in his first game back, allowing zero pressures. Darnell Wright also seems to be finding his footing. He exhibited impressive ability to block down the field. Specifically, he leveled a cornerback with a nasty block on a WR screen in the first quarter, and led the way for a 10-yard Justin Fields gain on a sweet QB counter play in the second half. Offensive line play is all about working as a team, and it seems like Chicago’s unit is finally gelling. Barring injuries, this will only improve. If they can continue to provide Justin Fields ample time in the pocket, the offense could flourish.
Conclusion
Many things went well in Week 5. Week 6 against the Vikings will be all about continuing to build off of these positive building blocks. The defense needs to keep creating pressure and turnovers. Luke Getsy can’t get cute with his play calling. Stick with what’s working, and the Bears have a good chance to stack another win.