Talk about opposites attracting in the absolute worst way possible for the Chicago Bears as they prepare to play the Washington Commanders on Monday night.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson spoke with the media on Tuesday as he responded to a question regarding the Commanders' rushing attack. Johnson couldn't help but praise the Commanders and their coaching staff for putting together a good offensive unit in the backfield.
“They do a phenomenal job. Give Coach Kingsberry and you know Anthony Lynn, their run game coordinator a ton of credit … I mean there’s a reason why for two years now that they’ve been running all over people.”
This is a nightmare for the Bears to face the Commanders' offense
Despite all the injuries the Commanders have dealt with on offense, they are the best rushing attack in the NFL, averaging 156.4 yards per game. In their 27-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, they got a big boost from rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt, who rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns in the victory.
This season, Washington has four players on offense who have rushed for over 100 yards. Croskey-Merritt is the leading rusher at 283 yards, while quarterback Jayden Daniels is behind him at 124 yards.
It's truly a nightmare matchup for the Bears as they happen to be the second-worst team in the NFL against the run, surrendering 164.5 yards per game. In their last matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders before the bye week, they allowed a season-high 240 rushing yards. Luckily, they still came out with a 25-24 win over the Raiders.
Contributing to the issues of stopping the run were having key players like Austin Booker, Grady Jarrett, and T.J. Edwards dealing with lingering injuries. Luckily, it appears the Bears could have either two of them or all back for the Commanders.
Read more: Bears got Joe Flacco revenge game moved up with 2023 nightmare on their minds
It's a critical matchup for the Bears as they need a signature win, and the Commanders would be that. Chicago's biggest challenge is stopping the run. If they can do that, they can pull off a significant win.