Bears 40 vs 20 Commanders summary, stats, score and highlights | NFL Week 5
DJ Moore completed his hat trick with this 54 yard catch and run for a TD to finish his night with 230 yards on 8 receptions.
Fields had 282 hards and four TDs on 15/29 passing and added another 57 on the ground. The Bears backfield went for 178 yards despite having to finish the game with their full back in the backfield after seeing Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson both got hurt on Thursday night.
Chicago snap their 14 game losing streak dating back to Week 7 of last year, and after a short week of turmoil and rumors about Matt Eberflus's job the Bears get a much needed win on the road.
Chicago kicked a field goal after the fumble recovery, but the Commanders were still in the game. Howell found Curtis Samuel wide open in the endzone, but Howell was sacked on the two point conversion as Chicago kept a 10 point lead.
Howell was 37/51 for 388 yards, two TDs and one INT in his first prime time game in the NFL.
Washington would get a stop on the drive after their TD, and had some momentum in FedEx Field but this strip by Terell Smith let the air out of the Commanders sails.
The Commanders needed a response after getting dominated in the first half, and five plays into the third quarter Sam Howell found Logan Thomas for this two yard TD pass. They Commanders would try to mount a comeback but left themselves with too much work to do in the final half hour.
Justin Fields has put together two of the best games of his entire career over the last five days. After going 16/17 in the first half last week he was 186 yards and 3 TDs before halfitme on Thursday night. No. three went to Cole Kmet on this 4 yard TD right before the end of the second quarter.
The Bears defense kept Sam Howell and the Commanders in check for the first half, holding Washington to 86 yards in the first half.
The second TD of Moore's night was a little tougher, but he dragged it in a minute into the second quarter. He had 137 yards and two TDs through a quarter and less than a minute.
DJ Moore had himself a night in FedEx Field. He started the night with a third down conversion on the opening drive, and then had this 20 yard TD reception after Fields found him wide open in the end zone.
IT'S ALL OVER!!!
The Chicago Bears snap their 14 game losing streak thanks to DJ Moore's three TDs.
CHI win 40-20 for their first victory of the season.
Howell finds Thomas over the middle for a 9 yard gain and that will do it.
McLaurin with the catch for 4 yards over the middle.
3rd and 6 from the WAS 47.
Howell's pass is incomplete to the left side for Gibson.
2nd and 10 from the WAS 43.
Howell over the middle for 10 yards and a first down.
1st and 10 from the WAS 43.
WAS get the ball back from the 33 and Howell finds Samuel for 8 yards.
2nd and 2 form the WAS 33.
FIELD GOAL!!
Santos gets the 37 yard field goal to go and the Bears stretch their lead to 20.
CHI lead 40-20 with 1:56 to go in the fourth quarter.
Blasingame gets another handoff and is stopped short of the first down and that takes us to the Two Minute Warning.
4th and 3 from the WAS 19.
Blasingame gets 3 yards on the right side.
Timeout WAS with 2:19 and the Bears will have 3rd and 5 from the WAS 21.
Blasingame gets two yards on the first down run to the left side.
2nd and 8 from the WAS 24 after the WAS TO.
TURNOVER ON DOWNS!!!
Howell's pass to the right side for Turner and he gets 9 yards, but will be well short of the first down.
CHI ball from the WAS 26.
HOwell is sacked again, this time by Green for a loss of 5.
4th and 18 from the WAS 17.
Howell finds Samuel for a pick up of 8 yards.
3rd and 13 from the WAS 22.
WAS take over from the 25 and Howell is sacked for a loss of 11 yards by Walker.
2nd and 21 from the WAS 14.
TOUCHDOWN BEARS!!!
On 3rd and 2 Fields was looking for a short pass to Moore, and the defender tried to take a chance, but Moore brings it down and goes into the end zone untouched for a 56 yard TD to sentence the Commanders!
Bears lead 37-20 with 4:09 to go in the 4th quarter!
Blaingame is stuffed on a run up the middle and the Commanders take a timeout with 4:18 to go on the clock.
3rd and 2 from the CHI 44.
Blasingame gets 6 yards after running left and cutting up the middle on first down.
2nd and 4 from the CHI 42.
MISSED FIELD GOAL!!!
Slye lined it up from 46 yards away, but pushed it wide right and that will make things nearly impossible for the Commanders to complete the come back.
CHI lead 30-20 with 5:10 to go in the 4th .
Howell let it go quickly for Gibson and the pass slipped right through his hands.
4th and 15 from the CHI 28 and the Commanders will bring out the field goal unit.
Howell got rid of it with pressure coming and Robinson made the catch but fell behind the line of scrimmage and is downed after a 5 yard loss.
3rd and 15 from the CHI 28.
Howell looking for Dotson down the left sideline around the end zone and that pass sails out of bounds.
2nd and 10 from the CHI 23.
Howell lobs it over the line backers hands and hits McLaurin on the deep crossing route for a 32 yard pick up!
1st and 10 form the CHI 23.
Howell going deep for McLaurin and the pass was underthrown but a flag flies for pass interference. After a ref meeting, they pick up the flag.
2nd and 10 from the WAS 45.
Howell hits Thomas on the right side, and he goes diving across the first down marker for a gain of 13 and a first down!
1st and 10 from the WAS 45.
Howell felt the pocket collapse and it was Ngakoue that takes him down for a loss of 4.
3rd and 13 from the WAS 32.
Howell tucks it and tries to run it but he is wrapped up after a gain of one.
2nd and 9 from the WAS 36.
Howell with another bullet over the middle and it's Samuel making the sliding catch for 15 yards.
1st and 10 from the WAS 35.
Howell's pass to the short left side for Gipson in short and bounces incomplete.
2nd and 10 from the 20.
WAS get the ball back from their 20 with 9:13 to go in the 4th quarter.
Fields rolls right and his pass his batted down by St. Juste.
4th down and 2 from the CHI 33 and the Bears will punt.
Fields on the keeper to the right side and he picks up 3 yards.
3rd and 2 from the CHI 33.
CHI get the ball from the 25 and Blasingame picks up 5 yards on a run up the middle.
2nd and 5 from the CHI 30.
TOUCHDOWN COMMANDERS!!!
Samuel got free in the right corner of the endzone and Howell found him wide open for the 3 yard TD.
The two point conversion is no good after Howell gets wrapped up in the backfield.
CHI still lead 30-20 with 10:51 to go in the fourth quarter.
Howell looking over the middle and that pass to Brown was behind him and falls incomplete.
3rd and Goal from the 3.
Howell lookin for Thomas on the out route in the end zone and that pass was broken up by the Bears defender.
2nd and Goal from the 3.
Howell with another bullet to Samuel and he holds on to it after getting popped!
1st and Goal from the 3 after the 25 yard gain!
Howell finds Brown short of the marker and he fights for a first down!
1st and 10 from the CHI 28!
Howell put a perfect deep ball on a platter for Thomas, but the TE couldn't drag in the pass inside the 5.
3rd and 10 from the CHI 40.
Howell looking to set up the screen, but he had to throw it into the dirt with the pressure coming.
2nd and 10 from the CHI 40.
Howell wit a bullet over the middle and it's caught by Crowder and that will be another 1st down on another 10 yard gain.
1st and 10 from the CHI 40.
Howell looking for Pringle again, and the WR lost his footing before the ball got there.
2nd and 10 from the 50.
Howell on the move and he finds Pringle after the roll out to the right side and that goes for 10 yards.
1st and 10 from the 50.
Howell finds McLaurin on the comeback route on the right side and that goes for 10 yards and a first down!
1st and 10 from the WAS 40.
WAS get the ball from the 25, and Howell escapes the pocket again and skips out of a couple tackles for a 5 yard gain.
2nd and 5 from the WAS 30.
FIELD GOAL BEARS!!!
Santos drills the 43 yard field goal to make it that much tougher for the Commanders to come back in the 4th quarter.
CHI lead 30-14 with 14:09 to go in the fourth quarter.
Fields looking for Moore in the hat trick and he was just inches away from dragging in his hat trick of TDs.
4th and 5 from the WAS 23 and the Bears will kick the FG.
Blasingame gets the handoff up the middle and he gets 5 yards.
3rd and 5 from the WAS 23.
Blasingame up the left side for three yards. He is the FB taking carries out of the backfield with all four RBs injured for CHI.
We are heading to the fourth quarter here from FedEx Field!
2nd and 7 from the WAS 25!
Moore on the comeback route on the right sideline and he spins up field and takes it 32 yards into WAS territory!
1st and 10 from the WAS 31!
Herbert runs it to the right side but he is cut down for no gain.
2nd and 10 from the CHI 37.
High snap to Fields which was snagged after the QB tipped it up and he takes it right up the middle for a first down on an 8 yard gain instead of a loss of yardage or worse.
1st and 10 from the CHI 37.
Fields with the QB keeper to the right side and he picks up 4 yards on first down.
2nd and 6 from the CHI 29.
CHI take over from the 25 looking to run some clock.
FIELD GOAL COMMANDERS!!
Slye nails the 32 yard field goal as the crowd continues to boo the decision.
Bears lead 27-14 with 3:17 to go in the third quarter.
Howell looked like he was wrapped up in the backfield and did a great job escaping the pressure and tip toeing down the sideilne for a 10 yard gain.
4th and 2 and the Commanders bring out their FG unit to a chorus of boos.
Howell on the right side to Gibson and he gets back 7 yards after the sack.
3rd and 12 from the CHI 23.
The blitz came from the corner from Stroman and he drops Howell for a loss of 9 yards!
2nd and 19 from the CHI 30.
Slant pattern from Dotson over the middle and he gets 14 yards as the Commanders are knocking on the door of the red zone!
1st and 10 from the CHI 21.
Wheel route from Gibson over the top and he makes the catch and takes it down the middle of the field for 41 yards!
1st and 10 from the CHI 35!
Here come the Commanders, starting their drive from the 17 and Howell finds Robinson out of the backfield for a 7 yard gain.
2nd and 3 from the WAS 24.
After a false start on the Bears, more pressure came for Field and he threw it away after getting out of the tackle box.
4th and long and the Bears will punt.
Lob pass over the top for Blasingame on the left side, but that pass way overthrown.
3rd and 15 from the CHI 49.
Fields drops back and the Commanders brought pressure, closing in on Fields for a loss of 5 yards.
2nd and 15 from the CHI 49.
FUMBLE!!!
Thomas made the catch on the comeback route, and fought for extra yardage after picking up the first down, and he got stripped by Smith who jumped on the fumble!
CHI will take over from the WAS 46.
Howell with the short pass to Thomas who drags in his 7th catch, this time over the middle for 7 yards.
2nd and 3 from the WAS 37.
Nice run back on the punt by Crowder an he takes it back 20 yards to the WAS 30.
Fields escaped the rush got to the line of scrimmage then pitched it up field for Herbert who tried to make an adjustment to the pass that was behind him and not only couldn't make the catch, but his knee got caught in the grass and stays down after the play.
4th and 4 from the CHI 45.
Quick throw for Moore on the stop route for 5 yards.
3rd and 5 from the CHI 45.
Fields' pass was batted at the line by Payne and falls incomplete.
2nd and 10 from the CHI 40.
Fields with another QB keeper and he takes it to the left side for a 14 yard gain and a first down.
1st and 10 from the CHI 40.
How do Chicago respond after the early TD with the second half collapse from last week fresh in their minds?
Fields takes it to the right side, then cuts back left and falls for a gain of a yard.
2nd and 9 from the CHII 26.
Finally we get to put a Washington highlight on the feed. Howell and the Commanders took three minutes get into the endzone with this 2 yard pass to Thomas.
TOUCHDOWN COMMANDERS!!!
Howell rolls right and finds Thomas in the back of the endzone, and it might have come late, but at least it came for the Commanders who look much more competitive after the halftime break.
Howell runs the two point conversion into the endzone after a couple of pump fakes and the Commanders cut into the lead early in the third quarter.
CHI are up 27-11 three minutes into the second half.
Howell looking to the endzone for McLaurin and he was being pushed out of bounds as the ball came in. Flags fly and the Commanders get the ball from the 1 after the pass interference penalty!
Howell to Gibson out of the backfield and he takes it to the left sideline for 10 yards before running out of bounds.
1st and 10 from the CHI 28.
Howell to Thomas on a short out route to the right side and that will be enough for the first down.
1st and 10 from the CHI 39.
Howell over the middle and Robinson makes the catch out of the backfield for a gain of 6.
2nd and 4 from the CHI 44.
WE ARE BACK FOR THE SECOND HALF OF ACTION FROM FEDEX!
WAS get the ball from the 25 and a screen pass to Robinson goes for 25 yards on the first play of the second half!
1st and 10 from the 50.
Field is following up his best pro performance last week with 189 yards and three TDs on 12/20 passing, finishing off the drive with this 4 yard TD pass to Cole Kmet
It's not just the offense that is rolling, the defense has locked down the Washington offense. Stroman making the play like a ball hawk to set up the Bears' third field goal of the first half.
If you're looking for highlights of the Commnaders in the first half, you aren't going to find them here. It was all Chicago in the first half, as Fields and Moore connected early and often. This was their second connection of the opening drive, this one going for six from 20 yards away.
It's halftime here from Landover and this game has been dominated by the Bears since the first minute to the last minute of the opening half.
The Bears have 307 total yards, while the Commanders have just 84.
Howell's pass to Thomas is caught but goes for a consolation 24 yards to end the half.
Howell finds Gibson for 8 yards and a first down and take a timeout with 3 seconds to go.
Howell looks to Gibson on the right side and he is pushed out of bounds after a two yard gain.
3rd and 8 from the 27 with 12 seconds to go.
This crowd here at FedEx Field is stunned as the Commanders get the ball back from the 25 and Howell's pass is thrown out of bounds on first down.
2nd and 10 from the 25 with 19 seconds to go.
TOUCHDOWN BEARS!!!
For the third time tonight the Bears are in the end zone on a Justin Fields pass. This one goes to Kmet over the middle and Chicago have a huge lead as we approach halftime.
CHI lead 27-3 with 24 seconds to go in the first half.
QB run to the left side for Fields who gets the 1st down and the Bears are inside the 10.
1st and Goal from the WAS 4.
Herbert gets the handoff again and gets 4 yards on first down.
2nd and 6 from the WAS 13.
Herbert gets the carry on 3rd down and drags the pile about 10 yards for a 16 yard pick up and a first down!
1st and 10 from the WAS 17.
Stroman just steps in front of the Howell pass to Samuel and the Bears have a chance to get another score before the half.
Herbert gets the handoff out of the shotgun and his is held up after a three yard gain and that will bring us to the Two Minute Warning.
3rd and 7 from the WAS 33 out of the break.
Pass to the flat for Herbert is batted down by Young.
2nd and 10 from the WAS 36.
INTERCEPTION!!!
Howell goes over the middle on the first play of the drive and Stroman stepped in front of the Samuel and makes the pick!
CHI get the ball back from the WAS 36!
WAS get the ball at the 25 needing to put some points on the board before the end of the half.
FIELD GOAL BEARS!!!
Santos hits his second field goal of the night, this time from 36 yards out.
CHI lead 20-3 with 2:24 to go in the first half.
Fields going to the corner of the end zone for Mooney and that pass was just a bit under thrown allowing St. Juste to make a play which could have been PI, but the Commanders force a FG.
4th and 4 from the WAS 19.
Stop route on the right sideline for Kmet who stretches for 6 yards.
3rd and 4 from the WAS 19.
Fields saw the pocket collapse and he falls up to the line of scrimmage for on gain.
2nd and 10 from the WAS 25.
Fields with another first down on the QB sneak and the Bears are close to getting into the red zone again.
1st and 10 from the WAS 25.
Herbert gets the carry and takes it nine yards up the gut.
3rd and 1 from the WAS 25.
Quick QB sneak by Fields who moves the chains with a one yard pick up.
1st and 10 from the WAS 35.
Chicago staying with the ground game on 3rd and 7 and it's Herbert who gets 6 yards, coming within inches of the marker.
4th and inches from the WAS 36.
Another play action from CHI and Fields' pass to the left sideline sails out of bounds.
3rd and 7 from the WAS 42.
Herbert with the run to the right for a three yard gain.
2nd and 7 from the WAS 42.
Fields off the play action and he finds Kmet sitting in the middle of the zone down the field for a gain of 23 yards!
1st and 10 from the WAS 45.
CHI take the ball back from the 25 and Fields takes it on the QB run getting 6 yards before running out of bounds on the left side.
2nd and 4 from the CHI 31.
FIELD GOAL WASHINGTON!
Sly puts the Commanders on the board with a 51 yard field goal.
WAS still lead 17-3 with 8:33 to go in the second quarter.
Howell's pass is batted at the line and almost intercepted by Jones, and the Commanders drive is cut short.
4th and 4 from the WAS 34.
Howell was under heavy pressure and threw up a hail mary looking to the endzone and that pass falls incomplete for Dotson, but an offside on CHI will give the Commanders a 3rd and 4 from the WAS 34.
Counter from Robinson out of the shotgun and he is stopped again after a gain of one. Nothing coming easy for the WAS RB.
3rd and 9 from the WAS 38.
Howell going deep down the middle and he had Brown open in the endzone but led him by a half yard.
2nd and 10 from the CHI 39.
Short pass to Thomas who made the catch behind the first down marker, lowered his shoulder and ran over a defender for a gain of 11.
1st and 10 from the CHI 39.
Out route to the left side for McLaurin who picks up 3 yards on first down.
2nd and 7 from the 50.
Robinson takes the carry out of the shotgun up the middle and moves the chains with a two yard run.
1st and 10 from the WAS 47.
Howell going to the air again and he finds Dotson for a nine yard gain on the right side.
2nd and 1 from the WAS 45.
Howell was on the move to the left side, and his pass was low but Thomas pulls it off his shoe strings makes the catch and backs up for the first down!
1st and 10 from the WAS 36.
Howell looking for Samuel on the stop route to the right side and he is taken down after a gain of 6.
3rd and 2 from the WAS 32.
WAS get the ball at the 25 and Robinson gets the pitch to the left side and falls forward for a couple yards.
2nd and 8 from the WAS 27.
TOUCHDOWN CHICAGO!!!
Fields goes to the corner of the endzone for guess who? DJ MOORE who was blanketed in coverage but made an amazing catch and got both feet down for his second TD of the night!
Moore had 137 yards and 2 TDs as the Bears extend their lead to 17-0 a minute into the second quarter.
Pitch out to Johnson to the right side and he gets 4 yards.
3rd and 6 from the WAS 11.
Field was under heavy pressure and did a great job to get rid of that while getting dragged to the ground and that's how the first quarter will end.
2nd and 10 from the WAS 15 after the break.
Johnson gets it back and lowers his shoulder for 10 yards and another first down!
1st and 10 from the WAS 15!
Rohnson gets the carry and takes it up the middle for 5 yards.
2nd and 5 from the WAS 25.
CHI start their drive from the 31 and Moore makes the catch on the comeback and breaks out of a tackle and jets down the sideline for 39 yards!
1st and 10 from the WAS 30!
Howell tried to run it again, but was tripped up at the line of scrimmage and the Commanders go three and out again!
4th and long from the 23.
After a false start on CHI, Robinson gets the handoff out of the shotgun and he is stuffed at the line of scrimmage.
3rd and 12 from the WAS 23.
Howell tucks it and runs and he slides down after a gain of three yards.
2nd and 7 from the WAS 28.
Washington will try to get their offense going on their second drive, starting from the 25.
FIELD GOAL!!!
The Bears get into the red zone for a second straight possession, but this time are held to a field goal. Santos drills the 22 yarder and the Bears go up by two scores.
CHI lead 10-0 with 4:18 to go in the first quarter.
Fields going back to Kmet and that pass is complete but he is stopped a yard short of the marker.
4th and 1 and this time the Bears will take a field goal.
Kmet with a short catch up the middle and lost the ball, but it was recovered by CHI!
3rd and 9 from the CHI 12.
Fields let it go with pressure in his face and had to throw it out of bounds.
2nd and 10 from the WAS 13.
Herbert breaks a big one, finding a hole on the right side and bursts for a gain of 34!
1st and 10 from the WAS 13.
Play action from Fields and he just gets it off to Tonyan on the left sideline for a short gain of three as the TE tip toed his way out of bounds.
2nd and 7 from the WAS 47.
Fields with a quick QB sneak on 2nd and short and he gets just enough to move the chains.
1st and 10 from the 50.
WR screen to the right side for Moore and he follows his blockers for a gain of 9 yards.
2nd and 1 from the CHI 49.
Fields had plenty of protection again and went for Mooney on the deep out route to the left side, but that pass was too far out infront of the WR.
2nd and 10 from the CHI 40.
Quick throw up the middle for Tonyan for 7 yards and a first down.
1st and 10 from the CHI 40.
CHI get the ball back from their 26 and Fields takes the QB sweep to the right side for a gain of 7.
2nd and 3 from the CHI 33.
Handoff to Robinson and he is eaten up behind the line and dropped for a two yard loss.
WAS go three and out and will punt on 4th and 3.
Quick out route to Thomas on the right side and that almost gets enough to move the chains.
3rd and short from the WAS 34.
Here comes Sam Howell and the Commanders offense and Robinson gets the handoff up the middle for a six yard gain.
2nd and 4 from the WAS 31.
Moore had two big catches, both on third down and the second one led to the first score of the game from 16 yards out.
TOUCHDOWN!!!
Fields gets plenty of time on third down and he finds Moore in the corner of the endzone! Another breakdown in the secondary leads to a second big play of the drive and the Bears get on the board first!
CHI lead 7-0 three minutes into this ball game.
The pocket collapsed on Fields and Sweat wrapped up Fields in the backfield for a loss of 4!
3rd and 13 from the CHI 19.
Herbert gets another handoff and he gets stopped again after a short pick up of one.
2nd and 9 from the CHI 15.
Fields with all kinds of time and Moore broke down the left sideline wide open for a 58 yard catch and run!
1st and 10 from the WAS 16.
Herbert gets the run to the left side, and he is swallowed up after a gain of one.
3rd and 9 from the CHI 26.
Fields wasting no time going deep looking for Mooney! The WR was behind the defenders but had to jump for it and the pass goes right off the fingertips.
2nd and 10 from the CHI 25.
WE ARE UNDERWAY FROM FEDEX FIELD!!!
The Chicago Bears will get the ball to start the game and Justin Fields will take the field looking to lead his team to their first win.
ODDS
The Washington Commanders are six point favorites tonight against the Chicago Bears, with the Over/Under set at 44.5.
The Bears are in a free fall and I don’t think they come out of it tonight. Ron Rivera will have his defense ready for Justin Fields both through the air and on the ground and look for Terry McLaurin to have his break out game of the season. Washington takes it 23-16 tonight in the nation’s capital.
Commanders Oline sturggles
It has been an impressive start to Sam Howell’s young career as QB1 of the Washington Commanders. What is even more impressive than his numbers, is the fact that he is doing so with maybe the worst offensive line in the league. They have given up 24 sacks, which is the most for any team through four games of the season. The run game really hasn’t been allowed to make an impact either. Brian Robinson Jr. is averaging just 65 yards rushing, and the Commanders as a whole are getting just over 100 a game. If the Commanders can get things sorted out on the line, that could open up the run game which would lead to more time and space for Howell.
Eberflus on the hot seat
Head Coach Matt Eberflus is under heavy fire in the Windy City after an 0-4 start to the season. Last year was his gimme year, where disappointment was accepted, but this year there was a lot, or at least much more, expected from the Bears this year. The struggles stretch from on the field to off the field for the second year coach, who has found himself waging a civil war in the locker room with Chase Claypool. The former Steeler WR who the Bears traded for last year was critical of the team, and coaching staff. As a consequence, the WR was told to not even show up to the Bears game against Chicago last week, and will be a healthy scratch tonight.
Claypool isn’t the only one who has been vocal about the shortcomings on the sidelines. Fields also threw his coaching staff under the bus when asked about his “robotic” play. The QB was quick to back track on his statements, but Eberflus fell under more criticism with his call to go for it on 4th and 1 instead of kick the FG late in a tied game against the Broncos. The decision ultimately cost the Bears the game, and his seat in Chicago is getting awfully warm, and will only get hotter if the Bears can’t find ways to win games.
RIP Dick Butkus
Today the football world, the sports world, and the entire world lost maybe the greatest Chicago Bear of all time. He spent his whole career in the Windy City and won two Defensive Player of the Year Awards, was an 5 time All Pro, and a legend throughout the city. He went on to be an actor and commentator after retiring in 1973. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.
New QB in command in D.C.
Sam Howell played just one game in his rookie season, but between that game and his performance in the preseason Washington saw enough to hand him the keys to the car and he has performed like a seasoned vet. Through the first month of the season, the former North Carolina Tar Heel has 961 yards, 4 TDs and 5 INTs. Barring the game against the Bills, in which he threw four picks, he has been efficient, accurate and has shown he’s capable of making throws like the one last week at the end of regulation. He has been up to the test so far, but tonight is his first time under the bright lights on national television. Luckily he is going up against a defense that is fourth worst in the league, giving up 267.8 yards a game.
T-Mac, steps into the stage
Terry McLaurin has been the man in the nation’s capital for the last few years. Throughout all of the QB changes and instability on the offensive end, there has been one constant and that has been wide receiver Terry McLaurin. This year the Commanders WR1 has got off to a slow start, perhaps because of an ankle injury he suffered late in the preseason. He has two TDs this year, but one of them came off a fumble recovery in the end zone. Howell and him started building on their chemistry last year when Howell’s first NFL pass went for a TD to McLaruin, but this year that relationship has taken a few weeks to find it’s flow.
Fields feeling the pressure
Justin Fields is coming off the best passing game of his career, going for 335 yards, 4 TDs and just 1 INT against the Denver Broncos. It’s hard to chalk up the loss to the QB play last week, even though he did have the fumble that allowed Denver to tie up the game. You have to feel for Fields a bit. When he’s not running for his life behind an offensive line that can not protect him, he is getting play calls from coaches who have proven they don’t know how to use the dual threat QB to the best of his ability. And even when he has a good game, the defense is there to squander a big second half lead. There are plenty of things going wrong right now in Chicago, but it’s hard to imagine how bad they would be if it wasn’t for Justin Fields.
Commanders last week
After their two opening wins of the season, the talk of the Commanders being a team ready for relevancy in the NFL was quickly squashed when the Bills went into their house and spanked them 37-3. Last week, Sam Howell and the Commanders bounced back, giving the Philadelphia Eagles all they could handle. Howell passed for 290 yards and a TD as Washington hung tight with the Eagles until the end. Jalen Hurts found AJ Brown on a 28 yard TD pass to take a 31-24 lead with 1:46 to go in the game. Howell led a two minute drill into PHI territory and hit Jahan Dotson with a last second TD pass from 10 yards out to push the game to OT. Washington went three and out on their first possession of OT and the Eagles finished off the job with a field goal just minutes later.
Bears last week
It really was the tale of two halves last week in Chicago for the Bears. They jumped out to a quick start thanks to a fantastic couple of quarters from their quarterback Justin Fields who hit his first 16 passes, and had the Bears up 21-7 heading into halftime. They would extend that lead to 28-7 early in the third quarter, but a monumental collapse would lead to the Broncos tying the game up on a scoop and score off a Fields fumble midway through the final quarter. Chicago had a chance to take the lead with under 3:00 to go, but instead the Bears went it on 4th and 1 inside the DEN 20 and failed to convert. Wil Lutz hit a field goal putting Denver up by three and Fields would throw a late interception to literally hand the game to the Broncos to lose their 14th straight game dating back to last season.
We are live from Landover
Hello everyone and welcome to FedEx Field where both of these come into this game on a short week searching for a much needed win. The Bears are no doubt the more desperate team after a nightmare of a first month in which they have failed to win a game and have made more headlines off the field than they have on the field. The Commanders surprised a lot of people by winning their first two games of the season, but have lost their last two in very different fashion. Tonight they return home looking for a win to keep up with the undefeated Eagles in the NFC East.
Bears vs. Commanders
It’s Thursday night, and that only means one thing. It’s time for some primetime football, and tonight’s we have the winless Chicago Bears traveling to FedEx Field to take on the Washington Commanders. It’s far from a key game on the Week 5 slate, but none the less, AS English will be with you all night providing live coverage, stats, highlights and analysis of tonight’s game from Landover, Virginia.