The opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of the team.
The Washington Commanders are returning to Northwest Stadium for a primetime battle with the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. Here are three keys to securing a victory.
1. No. 1 rushing offense vs. 31st rushing defense.
The Commanders are running the ball better than any team in the NFL so far this season. They have a diverse group of running backs, a strong blocking scheme and a quarterback whose legs are just as much of a weapon as his arm.
The Bears, meanwhile, have struggled mightily against the run. Although they have only given up four rushing touchdowns all year, they rank 31st in allowed per game and last in yards per rush. Prior to their bye week, they gave up 240 rushing yards against the Las Vegas Raiders with Ashton Jeanty accounting for 138 yards on 21 carries.
The Commanders have several options for how to attack the Bears on the ground, from Chris Rodriguez Jr. to Jayden Daniels and Deebo Samuel. However, seventh-round pick Jacory Croskey-Merritt has been their most valuable piece. He leads all running backs with at least 40 carries in rushing yards per attempt and has more rushes resulting in first downs than the next four Commanders rushers combined.
The Bears have had two weeks to prepare for the Commanders, and they will certainly pull out some new tricks to try and slow up their ground game. But if the Commanders can stick with it, there should be some open lanes for Croskey-Merritt and the rest of Washington's running backs to exploit.
Check out the top photos of the Washington Commanders as they begin their preparations for the Chicago Bears.
2. Protect the ball.
The Commanders have been solid at protecting the ball over the last six weeks. They've been particularly good at it in the passing game; they're one of five teams to have just one interception, and Daniels is one of two quarterbacks with at least 98 pass attempts to have zero interceptions.
Washington will be tested in this area on Monday against the Bears, who are 17th in yards given up through the air but are also tied for the second-most interceptions forced so far this season. Much of that success comes from veteran safety Kevin Byard, who is tied with Jalen Pitre and Kerby Joseph for the most interceptions among defensive backs. Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson has the most forced incompletions on the team, according to Pro Football Focus, and also grabbed an interception two weeks ago against the Raiders.
The good news is that Daniels protects the ball better than almost any other quarterback. His turnover worthy play rate of 1.5% is tied for the third lowest in the league. Washington's running backs have also only committed one fumble, and that was off a jumbled handoff against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Bears will be coming into Monday's game fresh and likely looking to make a momentum-swinging play on the road. The Commanders cannot afford to give them that opportunity.
3. Prevent Caleb Williams from going off script.
Williams is known for making off script throws and turning potentially disastrous plays into explosive completions downfield. It isn't the only thing the Commanders will need to account for, but it will provide a unique challenge for their pass rush and secondary.
The Commanders are currently tied for second in total sacks this season and took down Justin Herbert five times last Sunday. However, there were moments when Herbert took advantage of some open spots in Washington's rush lanes. He had a 41-yard run during the Chargers' opening drive and had 60 yards for the day on four carries. Williams, meanwhile, has 110 yards on 24 carries, 12 of which were scrambles, with five runs of 10-plus yards.
Washington's pass rush must keep him corralled in the pocket, but at the same time, they must get him on the ground as quickly as possible to ease the burden on the defensive backs. Wideout Rome Odunze, Williams' top target this season, has a catch rate of 77.8% against man coverage with two touchdowns. Williams has a 150.7 passer rating when targeting him against man coverage, which ranks eighth in the NFL among wide receivers.
The Bears have other weapons that could cause problems for the Commanders with the likes of DJ Moore, Cole Kmet and Luther Burden III on the roster. None of them have exploded the way Odunze has through four games, and the Commanders need to keep it that way. The best way to accomplish that is by getting to Williams early while preventing him from extending plays.
