When the Chicago Bears take on the Washington Commanders, they will be underdogs, but this will be a game that could be winnable if the Bears can play up to their potential. The Bears are not some stacked team on paper, but Washington has not been strong either, despite having two more wins.
There are matchups that the Bears could attack to win this game. How would that happen?
3. The Chicago Bears should test the Washington Commanders rookie cornerback
The Washington Commanders drafted Emmanuel Forbes high in the first round. It was a questionable decision if only because he lacked weight and was a bit thin to take on NFL wide receivers. While that has been an issue, another issue with Forbes has been giving up the deep ball.
Even against Devonta Smith, he was outmuscled on a deep pass, and many receivers have beaten him this year. He did fine in week one, but in week two, he lost matchups to Marvin Mims and Courtland Sutton. Stefon Diggs got the best of him in week three, and he looked weak against Smith and A.J. Brown.
Now, he ranks second in the NFL in yards allowed amongst cornerbacks. Damarri Mathis of the Broncos is third in yards allowed, and we saw that the Chicago Bears were able to attack him.
Kendall Fuller is the opposite of Forbes, and while he has been the better of the two, he is not nearly as good as Patrick Surtain. D.J. Moore not only beat Mathis, but he also got the best of Surtain as well. The Bears have to attack Forbes, but they also should see that Moore can beat both Fuller and Forbes in this game.
2. The Chicago Bears have to attack the Washington Commanders linebackers
One weak line of the Washington Commanders' defense is their linebacker play. They drafted Jamin Davis in the first round a few years ago, and he has not lived up to expectations. He plays fast and physically and has athletic traits, but he is a bull in a china shop and too often is lost.
That is why the Commanders have Cody Barton play the MIKE role and wear the green dot. He is their top linebacker, but he has been a liability this year. He has been taken advantage of in coverage, and quarterbacks have done a great job scrambling against Washington.
Russell Wilson, Jalen Hurts, and Josh Allen all had a few key scrambles where the Commanders linebackers were too slow to keep up. Justin Fields can match these players with athletic ability as a scrambler, and he has to make the Commanders' defense pay in this area.
More than that, the Commanders have played tight ends well, but you have to wonder if it is a lack of teams testing them there as much as it is the skill of the Commanders' defense. Neither of these linebackers should feel comfortable if Cole Kmet is matched up with them, and the Chicago Bears must attack this matchup if that is the case.
1. The Chicago Bears have to get pressure against Andrew Wylie
The Commanders went out and signed Andrew Wyle to be their starting righ tackle. He came from the Kansas City Chiefs, and so did new offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy, so the fit makes plenty of sense.
However, Bears fans know about what happens when you jam in a fit because of a coach, they are living it with Lucas Patrick and Luke Getsy. Sometimes, the player is just not good, and the fit with the coach does not matter. The Chiefs let Wylie walk because they needed to upgrade right tackle, and he has been a disappointment for the Washington Commanders so far.
Wylie has allowed 15 pressures and has committed three penalties, per PFF. For some comparison, no Chicago Bears lineman is responsible for 15 pressures allowed this season. Wylie has been an issue, and it is hurting the team.
The question is how the team can take advantage and whether that is even possible. They typically rush DeMarcus Walker against right tackles, and that is an uninspiring matchup for the Chicago Bears. They were set on signing Walker to defend the run on early downs and slide inside late, but that has not been the case.
Should the team try to get Yannick Ngakoue on the other side this week? It is an easier matchup and could help the team. Will Walker finally get on the stat sheet with a big game? Or will Andrew Wylie feel like he is finally getting an easy matchup when he sees Walker?