Tag: Chicago Bears vs. Washington Commanders

Matt Eberflus hints at bringing in outside staff to help with Bears defense

Matt Eberflus said they’re “having conversations” about possibly bringing in outside coaches and staff to help with the Bears defense.

The Chicago Bears are entering their first extended break of the 2023 season after a decisive 40-20 victory over the Washington Commanders, and it could be a golden opportunity for head coach Matt Eberflus to bring in some help for his coaching staff.

Eberflus met with the media on Friday afternoon and was asked about the possibility of bringing in someone from the outside to help on the staff, specifically the defense. Eberflus gave a non-committal answer but left the door open so that such a move could be made. “Yeah, we’re having conversations on that,” Eberflus said when asked if they were considering looking at bringing in help for the defensive staff during the break. “If it works, if it’s right for us, that’s great. If it doesn’t, then it will be what it is. But we’re still looking at it; we have an open mind. There’s nothing wrong with bringing somebody in who can help that has a different perspective.”

Eberflus was also asked if he was still planning on calling defensive plays, and while he said it was the plan, that’s also up in the air depending on what happens over the next week or so. “We’ll see where it is. Right now, my plan is to do that. We’ll see where it goes.”

The Bears have been without a defensive coordinator for their last four games after Alan Williams missed their Week 2 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and resigned a few days later. Eberflus has been calling the plays since then, but he left the door open for help from someone on the outside.

An obvious candidate to come in is Rod Marinelli, the former Bears defensive coordinator who worked with Eberflus during their days with the Dallas Cowboys. Marinelli last coached with the Las Vegas Raiders from 2020–2021.

10 takeaways from the Bears’ exciting win over the Commanders

From DJ Moore’s killer mentality to Greg Stroman’s big plays, here are our takeaways from the Bears win over Washington.

Our long national nightmare has finally come to an end. The Chicago Bears have won a football game for the first time in 346 days, beating the Washington Commanders 40-20 in prime time to kick off Week 5. Chicago sprinted out of the gates by demanding the ball to start the game and going down to score with ease. They were led by quarterback Justin Fields and DJ Moore, who had himself a career day, to drop 40 points on Washington, the most they scored in nearly three years.

The Commanders offense struggled early and didn’t find their groove until the second half. Though it got too close for comfort at times, they never overtook the lead from the Bears, and Chicago finally got the monkey off their back. A mini-bye week is up next to recover as they look ahead to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 6 to potentially start a winning streak, their first one in two years.

But before we look ahead, here are our takeaways from the Bears’ win over Washington.

Bears fans were thrilled with the 1st half performance vs. Washington

The Bears had an excellent first half vs. the Commanders and fans loved what they saw.

Did that first half really just happen? The Chicago Bears looked like a brand-new team during the first half of their Thursday Night Football matchup against the Washington Commanders. Chicago is pouring it on, leading 27-3 at the half.

The Bears started hot to open the game and didn’t let up. Quarterback Justin Fields went 12-of-20 for 189 yards and three touchdowns. It was the second game in a row where he threw for three scores after his outing against the Denver Broncos on Sunday. D.J. Moore accounted for 137 of those yards and two scores as he torched Washington’s defense.

Speaking of defense, the Bears front four finally turned up the heat and made life difficult for Sam Howell. They held the Commanders offense to just three points and got a pick late in the second quarter. It was all Bears for the first 30 minutes.

Naturally, fans were loving it and couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Here’s how fans reacted on social media.

WATCH: Bears get off to hot start with DJ Moore TD vs. Commanders

That was fast. Justin Fields and DJ Moore connect to give the Bears an early lead.

The Chicago Bears wanted the ball and they wanted to score to start their game against the Washington Commanders. Mission accomplished. The Bears opened the game with an impressive scoring drive thanks to quarterback Justin Fields and wide receiver D.J. Moore. Fields and Moore connected twice for a total of 78 yards, the second of which resulted in a touchdown to give the Bears the early 7-0 lead.

After a 58-yard strike that got the Bears into the red zone, Fields found Moore in the corner of the end zone for a 20-yard score in between two defenders. Fields started the game 2-of-3 for 78 yards.

The Bears lead Washington 7-0 in the first quarter.

5 bold predictions for Bears vs. Commanders

From Teven Jenkins rotating at guard, to Darnell Mooney’s revenge, here are our bold predictions for Bears vs. Commanders.

The first prime-time matchup of the year for the Chicago Bears (0-4) is upon us as the team prepares to take on the Washington Commanders (2-2) on Thursday Night Football. Both teams are coming off crushing losses, as the Bears blew a 21-point lead to the Denver Broncos to lose 31-28.

The Commanders, meanwhile, lost a thrilling overtime game to their division rival Philadelphia Eagles, falling 34-31. It’s a get-right opportunity for one of these teams to get back in the win column and regroup after a mini-bye week.

Thursday Night Football is a unique brand, one that can feature sloppy play or incredible moments. Sometimes they’re one in the same, too. Here are our bold predictions for the opening game of Week 5.

2023 schedule: Bears to play in 4 prime-time games

The Bears are set to play in four prime-time games this season. Here is a quick breakdown of each matchup.

The 2023 NFL schedule is officially out and fans of the Chicago Bears finally know when and where the team will play this fall. The Bears released their schedule on Thursday evening and it features plenty of high-profile matchups from the NFC and AFC. Four of those games are set to be featured in prime time, with the potential for more.

Here is a quick breakdown of the Bears’ prime-time matchups that are solidified for the 2023 season.

8 takeaways from the Bears’ pitiful loss to the Commanders

Thursday’s performance against Washington was one of the worst losses in recent memory for the Bears. Here are our takeaways from the game.

It wasn’t the primetime game anyone wanted and it wasn’t the one we deserved, either. The Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders met up at a windy and blustery Soldier Field on Thursday night, their first matchup in The Windy City since 2016. It was the battle between one team trying to desperately capture lightning in a bottle with a has-been quarterback amidst growing pressure against their ownership. The other is a team who embodies squads from yesteryear, showcasing a putrid offense with a defense that can make the stops when necessary.

All of that was on display when the Commanders defeated the Bears 12-7. The Bears had ample opportunities to make a statement with three trips to the redzone, but came away with nothing but disappointment after failing to score a single point. Washington could barely move the ball, yet found a way to come out on top, mainly thanks to a costly turnover on special teams.

It’s a game that will sting for days seeing as the Bears don’t play again for a week and a half, but perhaps that will allow time to make necessary changes that improve the product on the field. Regardless, this one hurts. Here are our takeaways from Thursday’s loss.

5 bold predictions for Bears vs. Commanders

From a hot start on the opening drive to Cole Kmet ending his touchdown drought, here are our bold predictions for Bears vs. Commanders.

The Chicago Bears welcome in the Washington Commanders to Soldier Field for Thursday Night Football and attempt to do something they haven’t done in nearly 20 years: Beat Washington at home. Since their last victory in 2003, the Bears are 0-4 against the Commanders at home but are in a prime spot to stop the skid.

The Commanders are riding a four-game losing streak after their only victory of the season came in Week 1. They’re banged up and appear to have a divide between their head coach Ron Rivera and quarterback Carson Wentz. The Bears are not much better at 2-3, but have some momentum on their side after nearly completing an impressive comeback against the Minnesota Vikings last week and getting their offense more on track.

This should be a competitive game, but it’s being played on Thursday night and that means pretty much anything out of the ordinary can happen. Here are our bold predictions ahead of Bears-Commanders.

6 Commanders players to watch vs. the Bears

Here are the Commanders players we’re be watching Thursday evening against the Bears.

Week 6 of the NFL season opens with the Chicago Bears welcoming the Washington Commanders to Soldier Field on Thursday Night Football. It’s  been a struggle for both teams to start the season, with the Commanders coming in with a 1-4 record and in sole possession of last place in the NFC East. The Bears, meanwhile, aren’t much better with 2-3, but both teams are coming off close losses that could be something to build off of on Thursday.

The Bears have a chance to climb back to .500 and start their mini bye week off on the right foot with a win. To do it, however, they’ll have to keep these six Commanders players at bay. Here’s who we’ll be watching on Thursday night.