(Photo: The Dunkel Index)
NFC Game Of The Week
Chicago Bears at Washington Commanders
Bears: I said this on social media and I will say it here. I need the respect to be as loud as the disrespect was. Whenever they lost or Caleb Williams struggled, the criticisms were spoken on an intercom, that’s how loud it was. However, when he wins, it’s “Oh, they beat the Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers”. Last I checked, they were both professional football teams, am I correct? Nothing is ever smooth sailing for a rookie or a Quarterback starting in their first year unless you’re Patrick Mahomes. Before the Bears drafted Caleb, the one piece of analysis I gave was for him to stop depending on the home run play down the field, in other words, stop always relying on the bomb pass every time you drop back in the pocket to throw because defenses will do all they can to prevent that. Instead, it’s okay to hit those singles and doubles meaning you can check the football down and hit your receivers with the intermediate passes. Can you imagine if the Bears had an improved Offensive Line? If he did, he’d be the runaway favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Each week, this kid is gradually climbing the ladder game by game and so far, this is one of the better offenses I’ve seen in Chicago. Defensively, this is always going to be a stout group. There’s always a few things you can count on and one of them is the Bears having an elite defense. On Sunday, they’ll make a trip to Maryland to face the leaders in the NFC East.
Commanders: What a season they’ve had and it’s due to the consistency of the young Quarterback. Jayden Daniels has been so poised and has played as a guy who’s been here before. He’s led the way and his teammates have followed and I’ve been so impressed. Dan Quinn has also taken full advantage of another opportunity as a Head Coach. While the Commanders won on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers, they also lost a key piece of the puzzle. Jayden took some hard shots and ended up with a rib injury. Trust and believe me when I say that attempting to play with a set of hurt ribs on a football field is extremely difficult. I’m also glad the team took him out and kept him out after the fact because we all remember what happened during the 2012 season with a rookie Quarterback named Robert Griffin III. He was the talk of the league that season as a rookie until an unfortunate knee injury that he would aggravate later that season in the Wild Card round of the NFL Playoffs. Sadly, he was never the same player after that. The Commanders drafted Jayden with hopes of him becoming a franchise Quarterback and he’s already looking like one. Also, Sunday showed why it’s so important to have a quality backup Quarterback in this league. Marcus Mariota came in and kept this offense afloat. After seven games, who would’ve imagined that this would be Washington sitting in first place? In a division where the Cowboys and Eagles were once again expected to be one and two in the division. They welcome the Bears to town on Sunday.
Bears X-Factor: Gervon Dexter– What a season he’s had. When the Bears drafted him, I knew they were getting a raw Defensive Tackle who could rush the passer from the interior. Gervon did just that with the Florida Gators and he’s doing that now as a Chicago Bear. He’s that pocket pusher and lane eater who commands double teams and in turn, everyone around him can eat and get theirs. As great as he is against the pass and getting home to the Quarterback, Gervon must be more disciplined against the run and he has time to get better.
Commanders X-Factor: Dante Fowler Jr.– He was expected to be the next great defensive star in the NFL, Then, injuries happened and he wouldn’t see the field for extended periods. This season, he’s the best defensive player on the Commanders. In the running game, he’s a tackling machine. Dante is that tweener I often describe meaning he’s part Outside Linebacker and part EDGE rusher. Wherever he is, he’s a threat to make plays and ruin your offensive game plan if you don’t circle in on him.
Final Analysis: Well, here we are. This is supposed to be a matchup between Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels, the last two Heisman Trophy winners and the first two picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. The status of Jayden right now is questionable as he continues to deal with that rib injury. The last time these two played, it was last season on a Thursday night and D.J. Moore had the game of his life. Over a year later, these two meet again in a battle of NFC playoff hopefuls. These have been two of the best defenses in the league. Dan Quinn is still one of the best defensive minds in the league and he will throw so many things at you to throw you off which I expect him to do to Caleb. The Bears on the other hand can also hold their own on defense. Whoever will play Quarterback for the Commanders will see a ton of heat from Eberflus and company. Can the Bears’ offense continue to climb the ladder and stay hot? They’ve impressed me so much and each week, Caleb continues to play more confidently. If the Commanders do decide to play Jayden, they’d have the edge, but that’s up in the air right now. I like the Bears to win a tough win on the road in week eight.
Prediction: Bears 24, Commanders 14
