As if the storylines going into Monday Night Football couldn't get any bigger, the Chicago Bears were just handed a huge disadvantage in their rematch from last year with the Washington Commanders.
The referee crew for this Week 6 tilt has been announced, and it turns out it'll be Alex Moore's team heading this one up. Why is that bad news?
Moore's team leads the NFL in penalties called, through five weeks, with a total of 95 accepted and another 22 declined.
The Bears are currently tied for third in accepted penalties against them per game at 8.5, which also happens to be the average yards to gain for their offense on third down, funny enough. This has been a significant pain point among fans who have watched the team this year, in the early goings.
All eyes could be on Darnell Wright and Jonah Jackson in Bears vs. Commanders, but for the wrong reasons
The two biggest culprits in this department, thus far, have been Darnell Wright and Jonah Jackson, who have combined for a whopping 10 penalties in just four games (six by Wright and four by Jackson).
The Bears' offensive line was supposed to be fixed after this past offseason, but four games in, there are still reasons for concern. Obviously, head coach Ben Johnson is doing what he can to fix the line by mixing it up and giving rookie Ozzy Trapilo, along with Theo Benedet, some snaps, but some of that had to do with Wright being injured and declared out for the game last week against the Raiders.
Braxton Jones has also had some struggles, which is another reason why Johnson has been forced to try a few different combinations at the tackle spots.
We're not quite sure if Wright is headed toward playing on Monday night, but as of Tuesday, he wasn't practicing. So, that's worth monitoring. If Wright is able to return, he and Jackson will face a significant amount of pressure to play a clean game.
One of the Bears' biggest issues on offense, thus far, is in that department. And, although Chicago has faced many long down-and-distance scenarios because of it, Caleb Williams has been able to pull them through more often than not.
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This, of course, is the rematch of last year's infamous "Fail Mary," so the stakes are high. The Bears will have to play clean and mostly penalty-free football to give themselves the best chance to win.