NFL Game of the Week: Chicago Bears vs. Washington Commanders

The script was written. Everything was perfect. Two electric rookie quarterbacks, Jayden Daniels and Caleb Williams, were set to face off this Sunday in what was to be a battle of two teams who were finally experiencing success after years in the basements of their divisions, with their first-year saviors under center.

However, one of those young phenoms, Jayden Daniels, suffered an injury during the Commanders’ opening drive on a scramble Sunday and was forced to leave the game. Veteran Marcus Mariota entered the game in his stead.

Nonetheless, this Week 8 matchup will undoubtedly still be worth keeping an eye on. The NFC East-leading Washington Commanders will take on the 4-2 Chicago Bears.

The Commanders were still able to steamroll the lowly Panthers last week despite their star going down, with the final score being 40-7 as they scored four touchdowns.

The Bears, on the other hand, won’t be able to carry the same momentum as they are coming out of their bye week. They will, however, be fully rested and will have had two full weeks of preparation for this matchup.

In their last contest on Oct. 13, the Bears had no trouble at all, handily beating the Jaguars by a score of 35-16. They have won 3 straight games after a sluggish beginning to their season.

Offensively, the Bears have been as consistent as it gets. The team has eclipsed 20 points in each of their victories this season. They have a balanced ground and air attack, a skill which they have not possessed in recent years.

Outside of Williams, who has thrice passed for over 200 yards, D’Andre Swift and D.J. Moore anchor this offense.

Swift has started every game this year and has received at least 10 rushing attempts in each of them. He is averaging a career-low 3.6 yards per attempt, but his yards per game average is actually the second highest it has ever been in his career at 54.2, being bested only by his 65.6 mark last year as a first time Pro-Bowl selection with the Eagles.

The Commanders are 18th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game this year, meaning the matchup on the ground for Swift should be somewhat favorable.

The Bears are not necessarily known for their strong passing game, but they have one standout wide receiver who should be heavily involved this Sunday. D.J. Moore has taken a bit of a step back in terms of his production from last season but has still had a fine year so far.

He has led the team’s receiving core in receptions with 31. Those catches have gone for a total of 314 yards, and he’s snagged 3 touchdowns. Option B for Caleb Williams will be rookie Rome Odunze, as the 22-year-old has totaled 17 grabs so far in the young season.

Washington’s defense has allowed 10 touchdown catches to wideouts so far, so there should be an opportunity for Chicago to utilize their passing game.

The Commanders, who allowed a league-high 65 sacks last season, have benefited from Jayden Daniels getting the ball out consistently fast. With Marcus Mariota in line to start this week, they may need to utilize their run game a bit more, although Mariota was nothing short of brilliant filling in for the team's injured QB1.

The long-time Tennessee Titan connected on 18 of his 23 pass attempts for 205 yards and two touchdowns against the Panthers.

He’ll look to connect with the wide receiver/tight end combo of Terry McLaurin and Zach Ertz, Who have each eclipsed 20 catches and 200 yards this season. The Bears are top-10 in the NFL in interceptions currently, with seven.

Brian Robinson Jr. is listed as questionable to play with a knee injury, and the Commanders would love it if he were able to suit up for this game. The third-year back has been brilliant, having rushed for nearly 400 yards so far and has breached the goal line 6 times. His 4.7 yards per attempt is a career-high.

If he can’t put on the pads for Week 8, we’ll be seeing a lot of the former Charger Austin Eckler. Eckler, who led the NFL in rushing and receiving touchdowns in both 2021 and 2022, is no longer the force he once was but would be no slouch to fill in for Robinson Jr.

The Bears are especially stingy in opponent rushing yards allowed on the road, with their average mark of 97.7 yards per game in enemy territory so far.

All things considered, this matchup should be about as even as it gets, even if we won’t be seeing the frontline quarterback battle we were hoping for. We will see two teams who match up well in both the run game and the passing game.

It will likely come down to which team can more consistently stop the rush.

Make sure to tune in to this electric Week 8 faceoff.

Dominick Pizzelanti is a second-year dual majoring in broadcast journalism and Spanish. To contact him, email dqp5565@psu.edu.