The Morning After…the Bears’ impressive Week 5 win vs. Commanders
The Chicago Bears defeated the Washington Commanders, 40-20, on Thursday Night Football. It snapped a franchise-worst 14-game losing streak that almost reached a full calendar yet.
The Bears had a dominant first half performance, where they held a 27-3 lead. But unlike the previous week, where they choked away a huge lead, Chicago was able to close it out in the second half (even though there was a scare in the third quarter).
Quarterback Justin Fields and receiver DJ Moore stole the show in prime time, where Fields found Moore eight times for 230 yards — second most in franchise history — and three touchdowns.
There was plenty to break down following Chicago’s exciting win over Washington, including the exciting duo of Fields and Moore and getting a win for Dick Butkus, who passed away before the game. Our Bears Wire staff is sharing their thoughts following the Week 5 contest.
The Bears’ Week 5 win vs. Commanders
Alyssa Barbieri
The streak is over. The Chicago Bears have won a football game. To be honest, I didn’t know when — or if — it was going to happen after last week’s blown lead. But on a night where the NFL world mourned the loss of Bears legend Dick Butkus, the team was able to pull off the win.
And the Bears didn’t just win. They had a dominant first-half performance, where the offense built on last week’s performance and an injury-depleted defense held its own with a 27-3 lead at halftime. And unlike the previous week, Chicago didn’t choke away their big second-half lead. (Although there was a scare in the third quarter).
It’s hard to believe just two weeks ago that most people had written off Justin Fields as the Bears’ franchise quarterback. Now, Fields has strung together back-to-back impressive outings and is tied for the league-lead in touchdown passes (11). It looks like something has finally clicked for Fields, and I’m excited to see how he continues to build on this momentum heading into the final 13 games of the season. Fields deserved a win last week. But he finally got it Thursday night.
DJ. Freaking. Moore. THAT is why you go out and trade for a No. 1 receiver. THAT is how a top wideout helps your young quarterback. THAT is how dominant Moore can be in Chicago. Moore went off against the Commanders, with eight catches for 230 yards — the second most in franchise history — and three touchdowns. His connection with Fields — the one we heard about all throughout training camp — was on showcase, and it was glorious.
While this victory takes some pressure off Matt Eberflus, he isn’t off the hot seat just yet. I still believe Eberflus will be gone after this season — barring some insane comeback this season. But credit to the coaches — Eberflus’ team was able to close out a game and Luke Getsy called a heck of a game, again.
Bears fans, it’s been too long. Our first Victory Monday (on a Friday) in 347 days. Enjoy it — we earned it.
Brendan Sugrue
The Chicago Bears snapped their dubious 14-game losing streak in prime time thanks to a dominant performance by the offense (DJ Moore) and timely defensive plays to seal the victory. It’s been so long that this actually feels like a playoff victory. That’s very sad, but it’s the reality of where this team has been over the last year.
What a game by the offense, though. Fields clearly unlocked something last week, and it carried over to this game. Part of that just might have been utilizing Moore correctly, but we’ll get to that in a minute. Fields operated from the pocket like a seasoned vet. He trusted his receivers to make plays, stood in when he was able, and bailed at the appropriate times. And he was judicious in throwing the ball away, not taking unnecessary sacks or making bad decisions. With eight touchdowns in four days, it’s becoming clear that Fields is figuring it out. It also helps when you have a bona fide WR1 at your disposal.
Moore put on a performance for the ages. Eight catches for 230 yards and three touchdowns. He was just 20 yards shy of breaking Alshon Jeffery’s single-game franchise record of 249, and he probably should have had it if not for a questionable out-of-bounds call. Moore made tough catches and blew past missed tackles for big gains all night long. Fields and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy are finally focusing on getting him the ball, and good things happened. The offense did stall a bit in the second half, but I chalk that up to the numerous running back injuries that forced the Bears to be more one-dimensional. They did the best they could, and it was good enough.
Defensively, there was finally pressure to make the quarterback uncomfortable in the pocket! The Bears dialed up the heat and had Sam Howell struggling early on. Of course, that went out the window in the second half, but at least this time, defenders were able to create turnovers to limit scoring drives. It’s an improvement from last week, though it’s something that still needs to be worked on. Hopefully, with the return of players like Eddie Jackson, Jaylon Johnson, and Kyler Gordon all possibly coming soon, that changes things.
Bottom line: this was such a needed win. And to have it come just hours after the passing of legendary linebacker Dick Butkus made it all the sweeter. It was crushing to hear the news of his passing, but it’s great to see the team rally to get him a victory. This one’s for No. 51.
Lucas Hunt
Finally. It finally, after a long, long while, has happened. Our Chicago football Bears have won a game. A losing streak was broken, the offense dropped 40 points, and the defense didn’t embarrass itself. In comparison with how ugly a 2023 Bears game can look, I can consider those aspects easy positives. Both the team and front office has several decisions to make as they go into their pseudo-bye week (because they have an extra three days off) that involves roster elevations from IR, and possibly even coaching changes. As for tonight, here are the main things to be happy about: Fields has proven he’s legit, the offense is dynamic, and the Bears will be getting key players back from injury as they go into a softer portion of their schedule. Someone play the music! Bear down, Chicago Bears…
Ryan Fedrau
It’s been 347 days since we’ve been able to say the Chicago Bears have won a football game. Hopefully, it only takes 10 days (their next game) until we can say it again. Credit to that defense, along with Justin Fields and DJ Moore for a dominating win. I’ll give credit where credit is due; the coaching staff did their job on Thursday and did it well. A locker room that I thought was lost came out and beat a very good football team.
