Chicago Bears @ Washington Commanders – Week 6 Game Preview: Overview, Keys to Game, Insights
The Bears (2-2) had their bye week after a hard-fought Week 4 road victory over the Raiders in Sin City that evened their record. Chicago’s special teams preserved the one-point win with a field goal block in the final minute of the game. Now they return to the scene of the devastating loss that derailed the 2024 season in Washington.
The Commanders (3-2) have had an up-and-down season and were missing star quarterback Jayden Daniels for Weeks 3 and 4 when he suffered a sprained knee. Daniels returned last week and led his squad to a mildly surprising upset of the Chargers in Los Angeles to jump above .500.
Washington is still missing a couple of key offensive performers with speedy wide receiver Terry McLaurin nursing a quad injury and do-everything running back Austin Ekeler suffering a season ending Achilles tear. New addition WR Deebo Samuel is starting to build a strong connection with Daniels.
The Ders are averaging 26.8 points per game which is thanks to the top running attack in football that averages 156.4 yards per game. Rookie running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt has seized the starting job after the Ekeler injury and is averaging 6.6 yards per carry.
Defensively, Washington has been bending but not breaking so far this season allowing 352 yards a game but just 20.2 points. Dorance Armstrong and future Hall of Famer Von Miller are the top pass rushing threats. Through five games Dan Quinn’s squad has created only three turnovers but they have also only given away the ball three times.
This is a step up in competition for the Bears, facing a team that made the NFC Championship last year. No one will forget the Hail Mary that handed Chicago an incredibly tough loss that caused a tailspin which would eventually end the Matt Eberflus era. A win here would be a fitting way to demonstrate things are going to be different under Ben Johnson.
Where to Watch/Listen
- Monday, October 13 at 7:15pm CT on ABC, WBBM Radio (English), and WRTO Radio (Spanish).
Keys to Victory
Here are my keys to Monday’s game. If these things happen, the Bears should have a shot to win.
- Try to keep Daniels in the pocket as much as possible. Washington’s quarterback is a good passer but his legs are a game changing weapon. It’s important for Chicago to keep him from scrambling as much as possible.
- Caleb Williams continuing to show steady improvement. The young quarterback is getting more comfortable every week in Johnson’s system. He is going to need a big game to keep up with a good Commanders offense.
- Finish drives with touchdowns. The Bears have been converting 63% of their red zone trips into TDs which is right in the middle of the pack in the NFL. Washington has done an excellent job holding opponents to field goals so far in 2025, so breaking through could make a big difference.
- Get some more results from the ground game. Chicago is having an incredibly difficult time getting any kind of running attack in gear. D’Andre Swift is the only real option and they are going to need him to step up with some help from the offensive line.
Don’t Tell Me the Odds
The Commanders are 4.5 point favorites at home against the Bears Monday night. Vegas expects some fireworks with the over/under set at 50.5.
It’s Football Weather
The weather at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland is expected to be cloudy with a temperature of 64 degrees at game time Monday night.
My Prediction
This is going to be a high-scoring contest but in the end it will be Daniels that will make a big play at a crucial moment and Washington will prevail 34-31 in a nail-biter.
Official NFL Preview
Here is the official preview of the Bears-Commanders game from the NFL.
