The Chicago Bears faced the Washington Commanders on Oct. 6 in Week 5 of the 2023 NFL season. Here are takeaways and highlights from the game.
The Chicago Bears finally got their first win of the season, defeating the Washington Commanders by a score of 40-20. It’s a massive victory for the team and fans, all of whom have been desperate for a win. Conversely, Washington drops their third consecutive game, falling to 2-3 on the season.
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Final Score: Chicago Bears 40, Washington Commanders 20
Chicago Bears
The Bears finally did it. After 346 days, the Bears finally won a regular season game. And they did it for Dick Butkus, who passed away Thursday.
It was a massive day for the Bears offense, tallying 451 total yards of offense. The defense held their own, too, recording a season-high five sacks.
The Bears got off to a flying start, going up 27-3 at halftime. Ghosts of Week 4 began rearing their head as Washington cut into the lead, but ultimately, the Bears were able to pull away in the end and win comfortably.
The show’s star was D.J. Moore, who cemented himself as one of the top receivers in the NFL with eight receptions, 230 receiving yards, and three touchdowns. Moore was unstoppable and showed up when needed most. On a crucial third down with four minutes left, Moore made a 56-yard catch-and-run touchdown to seal the victory for Chicago. His impact was apparent, and nobody felt it more than Justin Fields.
Fields had another stellar performance with 282 passing yards, 57 rushing yards, and four passing touchdowns. His connection with Moore broke out in a big way as 230 of his passing yards and three of his touchdowns went to Moore. The duo displayed what Bears fans envisioned when the team traded for the receiver from the Carolina Panthers.
Fields, who struggled at the beginning of the season, has stepped it up these past two games, recording eight passing touchdowns to just one interception.
Tight end Cole Kmet also made an impact, notching five receptions for 42 yards and a touchdown. Running back Khalil Herbert recorded 76 yards on ten attempts before leaving the game due to an ankle injury.
While much of the Bears’ offensive success will be accredited to the skill weapons, the offensive line held their own and gave Fields and the run game the necessary protection to make plays happen.
The Bears’ defense held up, especially in the first half. While the second half was shakier, there weren’t any pressing issues.
Recording five sacks in one game for a team with only two sacks over the four weeks prior was a significant success. Head coach Matt Eberflus dialed up more blitzes, and it worked.
T.J. Edwards, Greg Stroman Jr., DeMarcus Walker, Yannick Ngakoue, and Rasheem Green each recorded a sack. In addition, Stroman logged an interception. Rookie Terell Smith continued to impress, making key plays, including a forced fumble and recovery.
Overall, it was a convincing win for the Bears, who desperately needed a morale-boosting victory. The 14-game losing streak is snapped, and the Bears look to build on their impressive victory.
Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders struggled mightily in their 20-point loss. They’ve now lost three games in a row.
The first half was pure horror for Washington as they went into halftime down 27-3. The offense couldn’t move the ball, and the defense could not contain the Fields to Moore connection.
In the second half, Washington came out looking for a comeback. 11 unanswered points in the third quarter had many fans believing. The Commanders made it enjoyable, pulling within 10 pints, but Chicago pulled added extra insurance with 10 more points to put the game out of reach.
Despite the tough loss, this game had many positives for Washington—namely, quarterback Sam Howell. The second-year signal-caller recorded 388 passing yards and two touchdowns, showing he has what it takes to be an NFL quarterback.
Tight end Logan Thomas, despite the ugly fumble, had a solid day. He led the team in receiving with 77 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Curtis Samuel also had a solid day, notching 65 yards and a touchdown.
The defensive line of the Commanders had a solid day, recording three sacks and nine QB hits. Montez Sweat led the way with 1.5 sacks. The front seven generated pressure on Fields and disrupted many plays. Despite the pass-rushers’ efforts, though, Chicago’s secondary could not stop Moore.
Kendall Fuller and rookie Emmanuel Forbes are to blame for Moore’s big game. Forbes was initially tasked with covering Moore but ended with poor results. Fuller’s attempts were also in vain, as Moore was able to beat his coverage, too.
It was a rough day for the secondary and a similarly tough outing for kicker Joey Slye. The kicker, with a chance to cut the Bears’ lead to seven in the fourth quarter, missed a crucial field goal. This led to Washington losing momentum and the Bears pulling away again.
It was an ugly loss for Washington against the worst team in the league. They now sit at 2-3 with many significant questions. Washington will need to look forward and try to forget about Thursday night.
Highlights
.@justnfields connects with @idjmoore for 6
📺: #CHIvsWAS on @NFLonPrime pic.twitter.com/yxAnxgFE0u
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) October 6, 2023
2nd TD of the day for No. 2
📺: #CHIvsWAS on @NFLonPrime pic.twitter.com/6Vcz2XuC4q
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) October 6, 2023
.@ColeKmet extends the lead 💪
📺: #CHIvsWAS on @NFLonPrime pic.twitter.com/x78dOb4cp4
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) October 6, 2023
.@TerellSmith7 with the 🥜🥊
📺: #CHIvsWAS on @NFLonPrime pic.twitter.com/y8RZ0ZWRzm
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) October 6, 2023
Have a day, @idjmoore ‼️
📺: #CHIvsWAS on @NFLonPrime pic.twitter.com/fY0ztMycQb
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) October 6, 2023
What we needed coming out of half
📺 #CHIvsWAS: @PrimeVideo pic.twitter.com/hrG0sMLNub
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 6, 2023
Sam muscles it in for ✌️
📺 #CHIvsWAS: @PrimeVideo pic.twitter.com/TzlK9qcp1V
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 6, 2023
Let's go AG!
📺 #CHIvsWAS: @PrimeVideo pic.twitter.com/7vSO5lpI35
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 6, 2023
Deficit cut to 10
📺 #CHIvsWAS: @PrimeVideo pic.twitter.com/VdyAGz6USn
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 6, 2023
THE TOUCH ON THIS PASS
📺 #CHIvsWAS: @PrimeVideo pic.twitter.com/1V34m3I31Y
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 6, 2023
Looking Forward
The Bears got their first win, and it’s a big one. While playoffs may already be out of the equation, the Bears could build on this win to ride the wave to a respectable record.
This win is equally important to the Bears as to Field, who has been playing MVP-level football these past two games. His connection with Moore looks deadlier than ever. If Fields continues this level of play for the remainder of the season and the Bears win more games, he will solidify himself as the franchise quarterback many believe he can be.
As for Washington, they lost a matchup they shouldn’t have lost. Thursday night commenced a stretch of three easily winnable games against the Bears, Atlanta Falcons, and New York Giants. Losing their first of these three could hurt them in the long run as their schedule gets more complicated afterward.
After three straight losses, Washington needs to get their act together. They have the roster talent to be a playoff team but haven’t been able to put it together consistently. New ownership won’t hesitate to fire head coach Ron Rivera if they can’t right the ship.
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