Final Score: Commanders 18 Bears 15
Well, that really happened. After sitting in front of my TV screen in disbelief for the 15 minutes following Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown’s miraculous Hail Mary touchdown reception, and then taking a few days to recuperate, I’m ready to dissect the loss. There is a lot to look into following this loss including questionable plays calls on both offense and defense, another slow offensive start, and a strong finish by Caleb Williams.
Though the Bears were trailing for 99% of the game, I can’t help but feel that they were cheated out of a victory that they deserved. Despite what the media may insinuate, a football team is made up of an offense and a defense. Just because one unit (in this case, the offense) plays poorly for 2 and a half quarters, it shouldn’t negate the prowess that the other unit (the defense) is presenting. Sure, the offense didn’t play winning football until halfway through the 3rd quarter. The defense, however, played more than winning football for the entirety of the game. They held the offense leading the NFL in points to just 4 field goals until the final play. Williams and the offense then turned it on and put together a clutch drive to take the lead with just seconds remaining. The Bears deserved to win this game and that is why this loss is one of the most painful in recent memory.
Glaring Issues
Coaching Was a Major Detriment
The most glaring issue demonstrated this week in Landover was the ineptitude of the coaching staff. There were several questionable play calls, none more detrimental than handing the ball off to backup center Doug Kramer on 3rd-and-goal on the 1-yard-line. Regardless of how much you’ve repped it in practice, that is simply not a call that you should make when trailing in a football game. A simple handoff to running back Roschon Johnson would’ve had a much lower chance of a fumble- something that can not happen in that situation.
In addition to the Kramer run, Waldron also seemingly called back-to-back QB draws with Caleb Williams in the red zone on Chicago’s last drive. The Bears still ended up finding the endzone on the possession, but only combined for 5 yards on those two plays. I’d prefer giving the ball to RB D’Andre Swift- who was having a fantastic game- one of those times instead of putting the franchise quarterback’s health on the line in two identical back-to-back play calls.
Then, perhaps the most egregious mistake, was the decision to allow the Commanders offense a free 15 yards on the play before the Hail Mary. Head coach Matt Eberflus opted to play Hail Mary defense on this play, even though Daniels wasn’t yet in range to heave the ball into the endzone. Washington was able to grab a quick 15 yards, exactly what it needed to get close enough for a Hail Mary attempt on the final play. We all know how that turned out.
Another aspect of the game that stuck out was the lack of focus at times. The Bears doubled the Commanders in penalty yards (60 to 30), which is a prime way of losing a game. In addition to the penalties, the Bears obviously lost the game due to a lapse of focus from second-year cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. In the play that everyone’s seen a million times by now, Stevenson can be spotted tipping Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels’ 52 yard-heave up and backwards, directly into the endzone and the arms of Noah Brown.
The All-22 footage provides an explanation. Preceding the play, Stevenson can be seen addressing the crowd near the endzone. It wasn’t until 5+ seconds after the ball was snapped that the cornerback realized the play had started. After the game, he would admit that it was his responsibility to box-out Brown, the receiver who caught the touchdown. Plays like this can be attributed to both the player and the coach. Laser focus needs to be instilled in each of the players on the field until the game is over, and it is the job of the coaching staff to ensure this.
Slow Offensive Starts Continue
Sluggish offensive starts have become the norm in Chicago this season. Even in two 30+ points efforts in weeks 5 and 6, the team has never gotten it going right away. Nothing changed this week against the Commanders. The Bears only generated two first downs in their first four possessions and didn’t score a single point until there was less than a minute remaining in the 3rd quarter.
Injuries are Piling Up
In addition to coaching issues, the injuries are beginning to pile up. Defensive backs Kyler Gordon and JaQuan Brisker both missed the entirety of the contest and several offensive lineman also went down. Left guard Tevin Jenkins got hurt in the second half and was preceded by Bill Murray. Murray only lasted two plays before he also sustained an injury and handed off LG duties to Doug Kramer. The difference in performance was between Jenkins and Kramer was stark (Jenkins: 83.1 PFF grade, Kramer: 41.0 PFF grade). Left tackle Braxton Jones also went down. After only 18 snaps, rookie Kiran Amegadijie was forced into action. Kiran mightily struggled in his first real dose of NFL action. The state of the offensive line is something to monitor over the course of the week.
Bright Spots
Defense Looked Impressive Against Juggernaut Offense
On the bright side, the defense played really well this week. The Commanders were 1st in the NFL in points heading into the game and had scored at least 34 points in 4 out of their last 5 games. Chicago essentially held the impressive offense to only 12 points and kept them entirely out of the end zone until the final fluke play. Even without Brisker and Gordon, the unit was extremely solid and kept the team in the game.
Caleb Williams Showed Up in Crunch Time
Most importantly, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams gave yet another encouraging performance this Sunday. Despite being a bit too jacked-up in the first half and missing some easy throws, Williams hit his groove when he needed to. Getting the ball with 10 minutes remaining and down by 5 points, Caleb drove the offense 84 yards down the field, all the way to the 1-yard-line before Doug Kramer’s fumble ended the drive. Not to be discouraged, Williams got the ball back with 4 minutes left and did the same thing. His 22 yard completion to Keenan Allen displayed his talent and creativity and looked like a throw you’d only see Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes attempt. The drive ended with a Roschon Johnson touchdown run and put the Bears in the lead with only 25 seconds remaining. If you ask me, Williams basically had two “game-winning drives” this Sunday.
Standout Performers
D’Andre Swift
Despite the tough loss, running back D’Andre Swift had another monster game. He rushed for 129 yards on 18 carries, including a massive 56-yard touchdown run. His explosive score sparked the Bears and served a huge momentum boost. Swift continued to dazzle after this as well with a hurdle over Quan Martin that resulted in a 22-yard gain. Swift has transformed into the Bears’ spark plug and is a major reason why the offense has been finding success recently.
Jer’Zhan Newton
Though he represents the Commanders, Johnny Newton has to be mentioned. The rookie defensive tackle recorded his first NFL sack and led his defensive unit in pressures (7). Newton also recorded a fumble recovery in the game, scooping up the botched handoff between Caleb Williams and Doug Kramer late in the 4th quarter. He was a consistent force in this game.
Were the Keys to the Game Met?
The keys for the Bears were not met in any way. In my preview article, I stressed the importance of getting an early lead and attacking Washington’s weak cornerbacks. The offense failed to scored a point until the 3rd quarter, and Caleb Williams only completed 10 out of 24 passes. Williams was inaccurate early which make it difficult to take advantage of the Commanders’ struggling defensive backs.
From the Commanders’ point of view, it was important for them to be effective on the ground. They didn’t dominate the Bears in the rushing attack, but they did put up a solid rushing performance, supplemented by QB Jayden Daniels’ 52 yards.
Key Drive of the Game
The most pivotal possession of Commanders-Bears was certainly the Kramer fumble drive. The Bears offense had driven 84 yards down the field until it reached the 1-yard-line. Fumbling in that situation took away the chance at a 4th-down attempt at the end zone. Furthermore, if Kramer had held on and barrelled into the endzone, the Bears would’ve taken a two-possession lead on their next drive and avoided any hail mary shenanigans.