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Week 8 - Washington Commanders (5-2) vs. Chicago Bears (4-2)
Nuts & Bolts
Date: October 27, 2024
Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
Venue: Northwest Stadium - Landover, MD
How to Watch: CBS
Matchup History: Washington leads all-time series 27-25-1
Last Meeting: Chicago def. Washington 40-20 on 10/5/23
Betting Lines: Via DraftKings
Spread: Washington +1.5
Over/Under: 45.5
Prediction: Washington 17, Chicago 24
Official Game Notes: HERE
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Head Coach: Dan Quinn (1st season, 5-2 record in Washington)
Record: 5-2 (1-0, 1st in NFC East)
Last Time Out: Won vs. Carolina 40-7 on 10/20/24
Highlights HERE
Player to Watch: Brian Robinson
It was an absolute shellacking for the Washington Commanders last Sunday as the team moved to 5-2 on the year after a 40-7 win over the Carolina Panthers.
Unfortunately, the win was bittersweet, as star rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered a rib injury in the first half which sidelined him for the remainder of the game.
As of this writing, his status for the Week 8 contest against Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears is in doubt.
Daniels is considered week-to-week according to Head Coach Dan Quinn. Fortunately for Washington, they are in an advantageous position where they can and should be careful with him.
Yes, the Commanders are in first in the NFC East and are set up this week for a battle of the top two picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, but for the sake of the future of the franchise, there is absolutely no reason to rush him back for short-term gratification (remember how that went with RGIII? Of course you do).
Daniels’ health and status is bigger than this week or even this season for that matter. If missing a game or two ends up costing Washington a playoff spot or hurts their seeding, so-be-it. The only focus right now should be how can the starting quarterback get back to 100% in the shortest amount of time possible without messing with his long-term health.
With that being said, if this was an NFC playoff game coming up this weekend, it feels like he’d play. Obviously, it’s not, so may as well be extra cautious and give him some extra time to heal.
Regardless of when Daniels returns to the field, the backup quarterback proved more than serviceable in last weekend’s dominant win.
30-year-old journeyman and another former Heisman Trophy winner, Marcus Mariota took over at quarterback with 2:27 to go in the first quarter and finished the day with 205 yards through the air on 18/23 passing with 2 touchdowns to go along with 11 carries for 34 yards on the ground.
Yes, it was against perhaps the worst defense/team in the NFL, but, if nothing else, the performance should act as a confidence-boost for Mariota and inject a collective sigh of relief for Washington while taking the pressure off Daniels to get back to the field before fully healthy.
Sunday, it’s the Chicago Bears coming to town, which presents a much more significant challenge as one of the better defensive units in the league.
The Bears have won three in a row and are coming off the bye as they head to Washington. Regardless of Daniels’ status for Sunday, expect a war between the two sides are off to great starts in a season filled with optimism for both.
Head Coach: Matt Eberflus (3rd season, 14-26 record in Chicago)
Record: 4-2 (0-0, 4th in NFC North)
Last Time Out: Won vs. Jacksonville 35-16 on 10/13/24
Highlights HERE
Player to Watch: Caleb Williams
The Chicago Bears come into Washington off the bye and winners of three straight games, allowing an average of 14.7 PPG during that span.
In fact, Chicago has allowed 20+ just once this year in a 21-16 loss to Indianapolis in Week 3.
Defensively, the Bears rank 5th in total defense and 4th in points allowed per game (16.8), while ranking 3rd in turnover differential (+6).
A stout defense is just what a team needs to support a young quarterback and that’s exactly what 2024 #1 overall pick Caleb Williams has.
Williams has been improving each week and played his best game by far before the bye in a dominant win over the Jaguars in London.
In the win, Williams completed 23/29 passes for 4 touchdowns and an interception to go along with 4 carries for 56 yards rushing.
Besides Williams, the rushing attack finally got going in the win as Chicago rushed for 152 yards, including 91 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries from D’Andre Swift who was off to a slow start this year.
Chicago, similarly to Washington, seems to be a team on the rise in the NFC. Both sides appear to have found their quarterback of the future and are very real contenders in the NFC playoff picture.
For the Bears, they’ll need the win to keep pace in the NFL’s most competitive division, the NFC North.
For Washington, they need a win to stay atop the NFC East and in position to compete for the conference’s top seed.
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