4 Chicago Bears' Keys to Success for Week 8 vs the Washington Commanders

The Chicago Bears (4-2) are set to play football on American soil for the first time in three weeks when they travel to the nation's capital to take on the Washington Commanders (5-2) in week eight. Flexed into Sunday's afternoon window, the game was originally billed as a showdown between the first two picks of the 2024 NFL Draft in Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels, but a rib injury to the LSU Heisman winner a week ago leaves his availability for week eight still in question.

Regardless of whether or not Daniels suits up, the Bears are looking to earn their fourth win in as many games and stay competitive in the juggernaut NFC North. To advance to 5-2 for the first time since 2020, the Bears must accomplish the following four keys to success against the Commanders:

Build off of the Momentum in the Passing Attack

Heading into the bye week, the Bears' passing attack seemed to find its form, with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams accumulating over 220 passing yards and multiple touchdowns in three of the team's last four games. Williams' improvement over the first month and a half of the season has been palpable, and Sunday provides a great opportunity to take another step as a unit.

The back end of the Commanders' defense has struggled through seven weeks and currently ranks in the bottom ten across the league in passing yards allowed per attempt (7.8), passing touchdowns allowed (12), interceptions forced (3), and quarterback rating allowed (107.4). Williams and the Bears' stable of receiving threats will have their opportunities to push the ball down the field against the Commanders secondary, and capitalizing on these shots early in the game could set the team up for success down the stretch.

Continue to be Aggressive on the Ground in Goal Line Situations

Throughout the Bears' three-game winning streak, the offense was almost unstoppable on the goalline, especially on the ground. With 12 redzone attempts over their last three games - tied for 10th best in the NFL over that span - the Bears punched in five goalline rushing touchdowns, four of which were aided by the offense's secret weapon.

Backup center Doug Kramer has quietly built a role for himself as the team's primary fullback, signified recently by the release of veteran Khari Blasingame. One of many Chicago-area natives on the Bears roster, Kramer has been spotted frequently in goal line and short-yardage situations in recent weeks, helping both D'Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson to score two easy touchdowns over the team's winning streak. Assuming that the Bears can reach the goal line as often as they have of late, continuing to pound the rock behind a physical offensive line and fullback is the best strategy for a group looking to score touchdowns and not field goals.