- WHERE: Northwest Stadium (Landover, Md.)
- WHEN: 8:15 p.m. ET
- WAYS TO WATCH: ABC, NFL+
Last year's showdown between these two teams ended in such climactic fashion the NFL schedule makers decided a rematch belonged in prime time.
The second of Monday's two games pits the Bears against the Commanders back at the scene of quarterback Jayden Daniels' triumphant Hail Mary pass, a winning 52-yard throw in the final seconds of a 2024 Week 8 matchup that made vulnerable the thread on a Chicago season soon to unravel.
At the time, the Bears were 4-2, riding three straight wins coming off a bye. Beginning with the heartbreaking loss to the Commanders, they would drop 10 straight contests. Washington, meanwhile, continued to ascend throughout the rest of the season, eventually reaching the franchise's first NFC Championship Game since the 1991 campaign.
This time around, the Bears again have a winning streak (two games) and are again preparing for the Commanders following a bye. They'll have a far different result in mind as they look to keep things rolling in Landover.
Monday marks Round 2 between the top two picks of the 2024 NFL Draft -- Caleb Williams and Daniels.
What do they have in store for an encore?
Two must-know storylines
1) Can Williams keep arrow pointing up after bye?
It hasn't been perfect, but Chicago's offense looks the most potent it has in years in Ben Johnson's first season as head coach. The Bears currently sit 11th in points scored and 18th in yards, which would be their best marks since 2018 and 2016, respectively, if those rankings held. Of course, there's plenty of season left for the Bears to either improve or regress in those categories, and the direction they're headed will likely fall on Caleb Williams' shoulders. He still delivers a handful of inexcusably inaccurate throws, at times seeming more comfortable operating outside the system than within it, but he's undeniably taken a leap. Though he hasn't been great when pressure actually arrives (70.6 passer rating) -- something the Commanders defense is quite good at making happen (42.3 QB pressure percentage) -- he has been effective getting the ball out quickly against the blitz. Williams sports a 136.3 passer rating and six touchdowns when the opponent sends extra rushers. He's also seen his passer rating on downfield throws jump over 70 points, from 31.6 his rookie year to 103.3 through four games in 2025. If he keeps that up against Washington, it'll likely be through wideout Rome Odunze, Chicago's breakout star who hasn't finished a game yet this season without visiting the end zone.
2) Daniels and Co. should be licking their chops
Jayden Daniels didn't look quite as spry as usual last week in his return from a two-game absence due to sprained knee. He still tallied 39 yards on eight carries, though, and another week should provide him more confidence in taking off for extra yards. That spells trouble for Chicago's defense, which has been hapless against the run so far. The Bears have yet to hold an opponent under 120 yards rushing, and before their bye gave up 240 to the Raiders. They've allowed a league-worst 6.1 yards per carry. The team currently boasting the most yards per carry? That would be the Commanders, with 5.9. Whether it's Daniels scrambling or rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt looking to build off his first 100-yard rushing game, Washington has the ability to drive Chicago crazy on the ground. And considering wide receivers Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown are both out, the Commanders should look to do that early and often -- assuming defensive coordinator Dennis Allen hasn't shored up his run defense with extra time to prepare.
Bears' Week 6 injury report
Player | Game status | Thurs. practice | Fri. practice | Sat. practice |
---|---|---|---|---|
Grady Jarrett, DL (knee) | OUT | DNP | DNP | DNP |
Austin Booker, DL (knee) | QUESTIONABLE | FP | FP | FP |
Travis Homer, RB (calf) | QUESTIONABLE | FP | FP | FP |
Colston Loveland, TE (hip) | QUESTIONABLE | LP | LP | FP |
Cairo Santos, K (right thigh) | QUESTIONABLE | FP | FP | FP |
Jaquon Brisker, DB (quad) | --- | DNP | FP | FP |
T.J. Edwards, LB (hamstring) | --- | FP | FP | FP |
Kyler Gordon, DB (hamstring) | --- | LP | LP | FP |
Jonah Jackson, OL (rib) | --- | LP | FP | FP |
Kyle Monangai, RB (thigh) | --- | DNP | FP | FP |
Darnell Wright, OL (elbow) | --- | DNP | LP | FP |
Commanders' Week 6 injury report
Player | Game status | Thurs. practice | Fri. practice | Sat. practice |
---|---|---|---|---|
Terry McLaurin, WR (quad) | OUT | DNP | DNP | DNP |
Chris Rodriguez, RB (calf) | QUESTIONABLE | DNP | DNP | DNP |
Deebo Samuel, WR (heel) | QUESTIONABLE | DNP | LP | DNP |
John Bates, TE (shoulder) | --- | LP | FP | FP |
Noah Brown, WR (groin/knee) | OUT | LP | LP | DNP |
Sam Cosmi, G (knee) | DOUBTFUL | FP | FP | FP |
Jayden Daniels, QB (knee) | --- | FP | FP | FP |