5 thoughts from Bears fans entering huge Week 6 clash against Commanders

The Chicago Bears are back in action after an early bye to face the Washington Commanders in Week 6.

They return to the scene where their season went downhill after a Hail Mary loss last season, ironically, after the bye. Can the Bears exorcise their demons in Washington this year? Here are five thoughts Bears fans should have.

1. This game is big for Ben Johnson as well

Lost in all the Hail Mary talk from last season is that this game is big for Ben Johnson. Johnson and the Detroit Lions suffered a 45-31 upset loss to the same Commanders in the NFC Divisional Playoffs at home. The Lions committed five turnovers, including an ill-advised throw made by wide receiver Jameson Williams in the fourth quarter.

The loss ended a promising season, in which they had an NFL-best record at 15-2. Many had accused Johnson of not focusing enough on the game, as he was also interviewing for the head coaching jobs, and he was already "checked out". It did not help when he took the Bears job just a few days later, enraging the Lions fans further.

The Bears were already embarrassed and destroyed by the Lions in Week 2. Now, he goes to Washington, where he turned down their job while flying to meet with Washington officials. He was reportedly put off by their ownership because he thought they were mostly made up of "basketball guys."

Some say it was a blessing in disguise that Johnson turned down the Washington job. They instead hired ex-Falcons head coach Dan Quinn, drafted LSU quarterback Jayle Daniels, and made a trip all the way to the NFC Championship. Now, he goes to Washington to deal with a personal demon of his own. You can bet Johnson is as motivated as the Bears players, who endured last year's Hail Mary loss.

2. Theo Benedet gets a chance of a lifetime

It comes as no surprise that Braxton Jones got benched and has lost his left tackle job to Theo Benedet. Jones was benched during the second quarter of the Las Vegas Raiders game as the Raiders' edge rusher Maxx Crosby tormented the Bears. Rookie Ozzy Trapilo played right tackle, while Benedet, who replaced injured Darnell Wright, was moved to left tackle.

Benedet held on his own in the second half against Crosby. Not bad for a former undrafted free agent from Canada. Now, he gets his first start on the national stage. Part of the reason he is starting over Jones is that he is a better run blocker than Jones. And the Bears have yet to get their run game going through four weeks.

Jones has been dealing with multiple injuries after his rookie season in 2022 and has never fully recovered from his latest injury, which he suffered last December, forcing him to miss OTAs. He is a free agent after this season, and needed to have a strong season. But unless Benedet falters or gets hurt, his opportunity to impress other teams is pretty much dead right now.

3. Why are the Bears injury report looks long after the bye?

For those who saw the Bears' initial injury report released on Thursday, you may have freaked out by the long list of players who were on it.

The news on Friday was much better as right tackle Darnell Wright returned to practice, as did safety Jaquan Brisker, and the rookie running back Kyle Monangai. Meanwhile, edge rusher Austin Booker and nickelback Kyler Gordon are on track to make their 2025 debut on Monday, while linebacker TJ Edwards is also returning. Their presence is much needed as the Bears' defense has had a tough time both stopping the run and rushing the passer.

There are questions about why some players were hurt coming off a bye week. They held a practice session last Tuesday and canceled the scheduled Wednesday practice to give the players the rest of the week off. It is hard to believe that it led to so many players being listed.

As Johnson goes through a thorough evaluation of the entire organization this season, their training and medical staff could also be on notice. With the Bears playing twelve straight games after the bye, they are under the microscope the rest of the season.

4. Are the Bears making a trade with Tennessee TItans?

The Tennessee Titans came off a wild, inconceivable 22-21 win over the Arizona Cardinals last week to avoid a 0-5 start. However, the game was largely gifted by the gaffe and bad play-calling by the Cardinals. This is still a bad football team, and their head coach, Brian Callahan, is still very much on the hot seat.

Michael Rositano, who covers the Titans for Titans Upload Network, dropped an interesting nugget on his X Thursday about a potential trade between the Titans and the Bears are being discussed.

In my previous article, I mentioned whether the Bears should get involved in the trade market this year, and mentioned defensive lineman Jeffrey Simmons of the Tennessee Titans as a possible trade target, not necessarily for the Bears, but for the rest of the league. Rositano confirmed that it is indeed Simmons, who is attracting the Bears' interest.

Simmons is going to be very pricey as the Titans could demand at least a second-round pick in return. He also mocked Caleb Williams for painting his nail just before their season opener last season, which the Bears won 24-17. Not exactly an ideal teammate.

Instead of Simmons, what if it is someone else? Like running back Tony Pollard, who signed as a free agent last season after spending his first five years with the Dallas Cowboys.

Pollard has gone over 1,000 yards the last two seasons, but averaged only 4 yards per carry. If the Bears are still struggling to run the ball after the bye week, the Bears might be forced to give up draft capital for a running back.

5. My Prediction

As if dealing with the last season's "Hail Mary" was bad enough, the Bears must deal with a weather forecast that calls for rain and wind gusts up to 20 mph. The game might come down to who can run the ball effectively, and the Washington Commanders have a massive advantage over the Bears.

Their running attack is led by rookie Jacory Crosky-Merritt, who averages a whopping 6.6 yards per carry. The Bears' run defense is ranked 31st and will have a hard time slowing him down. The Bears' run game will also be put to the test coming off a bye week as Ben Johnson desperately seeks answers. The offense cannot be one-dimensional.

Read more: Why Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels' wins don’t define Caleb Williams' trajectory

The Bears must keep the game close and find a way to come up with a victory. But if the bad weather dooms them early, it might be difficult for them to overcome, spoiling Williams' return to his hometown for the second consecutive year.

Final Score: Commanders 27-24