The Washington Commanders dropped their third game of the season with a 25-24 loss to the Chicago Bears. Here are five takeaways from the defeat.

1. Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers.

The Commanders had done a good job of protecting the ball heading into Monday's game with just three turnovers all year. That good luck ended against the Bears, who forced three turnovers from Washington's offense.

Actually, perhaps the most frustrating part of Washington's giveaways was that all of them were caused more because of what the Commanders did as opposed to any extra effort from Chicago. Jaquan Brisker did jump in the way of Jayden Daniels' first-quarter interception intended for Deebo Samuel, but Jacory Croskey-Merritt lost control of the ball on the first play of the ensuing drive, and Daniels couldn't hold onto the snap that led to the fourth-quarter fumble.

The turnovers could be boiled down to a lack of focus, and the Commanders didn't shy away from that assertion. Daniels took the blame for the fumble after the game, saying he "didn't even give Bill [Croskey-Merritt] a chance." Regardless of whose fault it was, head coach Dan Quinn summed it up best during his press conference.

"You really don't deserve to win many games when you're in that space."

2. The defense couldn't stop Chicago's explosive plays.

The Commanders have had a lingering problem with allowing explosive plays all season. To be fair, there were moments when they showed improvement. Rome Odunze, Chicago's biggest deep threat, was limited to just two receptions for 32 yards, despite Caleb Williams testing the secondary's coverage against him.

However, the Bears' other weapons had more success, as the Commanders gave up six plays of at least 15 yards. Rookie Luther Burden III had a 37-yard reception that moved the Bears to the Commanders' 15-yard line. Running back Kyle Monangai took a screen pass 25 yards to the Commanders' 34-yard line. And of course, there was D'Andre Swift's 55-yard touchdown that occurred after he shrugged off Quan Martin that cut the Commanders' lead from eight points to two.

The challenges aren't going to get any easier from here. They're six days away from traveling to play the Dallas Cowboys, who boast the league's No. 1 offense despite not having CeeDee Lamb for multiple games. It's possible Lamb will make his return against the Commanders, and assuming he is healthy, Dak Prescott is going to take his shots to the Pro Bowl wideout.

3. The run game couldn't stay consistent.

Washington's rushing stats don't look that bad at first glance. They amassed 124 yards, marking the fifth time in six contests that the team has accomplished the feat.

However, it didn't feel like the Commanders were dominant on the ground against the Bears, who had given up the most rushing yards per attempt heading into the game. For example, the Commanders didn't have a run longer than 10 yards until the second quarter, when Croskey-Merritt was pushed out of bounds for an 11-yard pickup. Many of Washington's most explosive ground plays came off scrambles from Daniels, rather than designed runs. Daniels finished the game with 10 carries for 52 yards, the longest being a 52-yard scramble in the second half.

Even more frustrating was the Commanders' inability to rely on their running game to close out the game during their final two drives. The offense could only muster 38 yards in their final 11 plays, 18 of which came on the ground.

4. Winning time moments.

The Commanders have emphasized executing in "winning time moments" throughout Quinn's tenure. It became a key part of their identity last season, as they consistently came up with clutch plays to either maintain their lead or give them a chance of stealing a win on their final possession.

Executing in those moments has been more difficult this season, which has surprised Quinn.

"It's an area that we obviously spend a lot of time on, a lot of space, and we'll continue to do that," Quinn said. "But for us to come out the other end of it, just not getting and creating takeaways. I think, honestly, that's a big part of it too, man. The end, we don't like it, but we've got to go get the stops to go make that happen and we didn't."

The Commanders' final two drives and fumble in the fourth quarter was the most glaring example, but another came earlier in the game at the end of the first half. The Commanders, down 13-7, had a chance to at least cut the deficit to three points ahead of them getting the ball to open the third quarter. They moved 37 yards downfield before stalling at the Bears' 34-yard line, which forced Matt Gay out for a 50-yard attempt. The ball bounced off the left upright and gave the Bears the ball back with a little over a minute left to play.

The Commanders will continue to look for ways to execute in the "winning time moments" that have eluded them this season, and with several difficult opponents coming up on the schedule, there is no time to waste.

5. What now?

As their record would insinuate, the Commanders have been inconsistent to start the season. Every win so far has been followed up by a loss, and there are several reasons for those struggles. The lapses on either side of the ball have been mentioned several times, but the sheer number of injuries the Commanders have sustained through six games are also worth pointing out. There's no denying the team has talent, but it has rarely been on the field at the same time.

The hope is that the Commanders will be getting some of that talent back this week. Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown could make their return against the Cowboys, which would provide Daniels with two of his best weapons. Guard Sam Cosmi sounded confident that he would make his season debut this week, giving the Commanders a key piece of their offensive line. It's unknown how much he would play, but he would at least provide some depth until he's ready to be a permanent fixture in the lineup again.

As heartbreaking as Monday's loss was for the Commanders, there are some positives with two-thirds of the season left to play. The NFC East is still wide open with five division games left to play. The playoffs are still a possibility, especially with the number of injured players getting ready for a return to action.

However, the Commanders must find a way to even things out, string together some wins and play up to their talent level. It's up to them to figure out how to do that.