Winners, losers as Bears beat Commanders on TNF to end 14-game skid

Winners, losers as Bears beat Commanders on TNF to end 14-game skid originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

At long last, the Chicago Bears are back in the win column.

Chicago entered Week 5 as one of the NFL's last two remaining winless teams, having dropped 14 straight games dating back to last season.

But the Bears looked far from an 0-4 squad on Thursday...at least for the game's opening 30 minutes.

Chicago shockingly raced out to a 27-3 halftime lead over the Washington Commanders at FedExField in Landover, Maryland. The Bears then looked like they could be headed for a second straight second-half collapse before ultimately securing a 40-20 victory.

Here are the winners and losers as the Bears improved to 1-4 and the Commanders dropped to 2-3:

Winner: DJ Moore

Four catches for 126 yards and a touchdown would a stellar final stat line for a wide receiver. But DJ Moore had those numbers in the first quarter alone.

The Bears went to Moore early and often, with Fields hitting him for a 58-yard gain and a 20-yard touchdown on the game's opening possession.

Moore found the end zone again early in the second quarter, this time making an incredible contested catch off a perfect pass from Fields.

It was Moore who then sealed win No. 1 for Chicago with a 56-yard catch-and-run to the end zone in the game's final minutes.

The sixth-year wideout finished with eight catches for a career-high 230 yards and the three scores. After his two-catch, 25-yard Bears debut, Moore has eclipsed the 100-yard mark in three of the past four games.

Loser: Anyone who's playing vs. DJ Moore in fantasy

In PPR fantasy football leagues, Moore racked up a whopping 49 points. Good luck to anyone playing him this week.

Winner: Justin Fields

Fields has now strung together consecutive strong performances after a disappointing start to his sophomore campaign. The former No. 11 overall pick made plays with his arm, completing 15 of 29 passes for 282 yards and four touchdowns, and his legs, picking up 57 yards on 11 rushes.

Fields also recorded his first interception-less outing of the season after totaling five picks through the first four games.

Loser: The Commanders

The Commanders should be kicking themselves. They could have easily won this game if they just played an average first half.

But Washington was outgained 307-84 (no, that's not a typo) in opening 30 minutes of a home game against a winless team. If that doesn't drive home just how bad Ron Rivera's team started, how's this? The Bears had more scoring possessions (5) than the Commanders had first downs (4).

Washington finally woke up in the third quarter and somehow had several opportunities to make it a one-possession game in the fourth quarter. But the Commanders simply couldn't overcome their dreadful start.

Winner: Matt Eberflus

Matt Eberflus had to be feeling the heat. He entered Thursday night with a 3-18 record as Bears head coach and was riding the longest losing streak in franchise history at 14 games.

The Bears certainty didn't play a complete game, with the Commanders making a threatening comeback attempt just days after Chicago blew a 21-point second-half lead against the Denver Broncos. But a win is a win for a head coach that hadn't tasted victory since Oct. 24, 2022.

Loser: Carolina Panthers fans

This game couldn't have been an enjoyable watch for Carolina Panthers fans. With Chicago's victory, the Panthers are now the NFL's last remaining winless team -- a title they could own for a while with the Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins and surprising Houston Texans on the upcoming schedule.

On top of that, ex-Panther DJ Moore, who was dealt to Chicago in the trade that netted Carolina the 2023 No. 1 draft pick, had a monster performance just days after NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the Panthers are seeking wide receiver help in the trade market.