Week 6: Bears at Commanders MNF on ABC/ESPN

[jersey cubs fan]

Washington is 3-2, undefeated at home and has scored 33 more points than they have given up. They have one good win, an upset in LA over the Chargers and they are 3.5 point favorites over Chicago. The one thing Chicago has in their favor is the old east coast team coming back from the west coast and the Bears are coming off a bye. Jayden Daniels might not be able to exploit this defense as well as more established QBs should be able to. But I’m not seeing a Bears win here. 
 

If they pull off the upset the playoffs are still an outside shot, while a loss virtually eliminates them as they prepare for the second half onslaught of 6 likely losses. 

[BigSlick]

I got a bad feeling about this game, would feel a lot better if Daniels wasn't healthy. 

the Bears 2024 season basically ended when they went to Washington. I hope the same doesn't occur next week. It would be a nice gut check for them to play well and prevail. It would be nice alone if they played well. I think our defense is awful and will struggle against a healthy Daniels. Let's see what Caleb can do. 

[jumbo]

Yeah, this is a "must outscore them" game. The defense will not be able to hold Daniels and company down. Their rookie RB Bill is going to go off, even if Kyler and Edwards come back. 

Washington will likely put up 35 points. How many can the Bears score? 

[BigSlick]

I also gotta say, as I sort of expected before the season (you NEVER know who's gonna be good from season to season), the upcoming schedule isn't nearly as scary as it was preseason. 

The Commanders are good and I expect them to be a huge challenge.

The Saints are whatever and at the very least we should be on their level or better.

There's never been a better time in the past 7-8 years to play the Ravens. If ever there was a time to steal one from them, it's now.

The Bengals are trash with Browning as QB.

The NY Giants are trash. 

The Vikings are also trash but keep stealing wins. I don't respect them at all. 

Steelers are whatever. 

If we're a "decent" team we should make hay at this time. We're probably not decent though, we're probably a little under average. But if we keep getting some progress from Caleb Williams and the defense stays away from Complete Collapse mode (I am skeptical of this), we could be in a decent, competitive spot before we go Eagles, Packers, Browns, Packers, Niners, Lions. (and even that stretch doesn't terrify me as much as it did in the preseason). 

Edited October 6, 2025 by BigSlick

[jersey cubs fan]

5 hours ago, BigSlick said:

I also gotta say, as I sort of expected before the season (you NEVER know who's gonna be good from season to season), the upcoming schedule isn't nearly as scary as it was preseason. 

The Commanders are good and I expect them to be a huge challenge.

The Saints are whatever and at the very least we should be on their level or better.

There's never been a better time in the past 7-8 years to play the Ravens. If ever there was a time to steal one from them, it's now.

The Bengals are trash with Browning as QB.

The NY Giants are trash. 

The Vikings are also trash but keep stealing wins. I don't respect them at all. 

Steelers are whatever. 

If we're a "decent" team we should make hay at this time. We're probably not decent though, we're probably a little under average. But if we keep getting some progress from Caleb Williams and the defense stays away from Complete Collapse mode (I am skeptical of this), we could be in a decent, competitive spot before we go Eagles, Packers, Browns, Packers, Niners, Lions. (and even that stretch doesn't terrify me as much as it did in the preseason). 

How are you not including Saints as trash? If the bears are on their level they might as well blow this thing up  

[jersey cubs fan]

And while I agree that now is the best time to play the Ravens, but they don’t play them now. They play them at the end of this month which could/should allow them to get more healthy, including Lamar. If Lamar is healthy he’ll light them up 

[Brian707]

Saints might be the worst team in the league.  

[Sosa21MVP]

Bears at Commanders, what could possibly go wrong? >Insert one million replays of the Fail Mary in the coming days<

[gflore34]

14 hours ago, BigSlick said:

I also gotta say, as I sort of expected before the season (you NEVER know who's gonna be good from season to season), the upcoming schedule isn't nearly as scary as it was preseason. 

The Commanders are good and I expect them to be a huge challenge.

The Saints are whatever and at the very least we should be on their level or better.

There's never been a better time in the past 7-8 years to play the Ravens. If ever there was a time to steal one from them, it's now.

The Bengals are trash with Browning as QB.

The NY Giants are trash. 

The Vikings are also trash but keep stealing wins. I don't respect them at all. 

Steelers are whatever. 

If we're a "decent" team we should make hay at this time. We're probably not decent though, we're probably a little under average. But if we keep getting some progress from Caleb Williams and the defense stays away from Complete Collapse mode (I am skeptical of this), we could be in a decent, competitive spot before we go Eagles, Packers, Browns, Packers, Niners, Lions. (and even that stretch doesn't terrify me as much as it did in the preseason). 

The unfortunate part of their schedule is that the really difficult stretch aligns with when I expect them to hit their offensive stride.  Late November into December Caleb and the offense will be cooking it'll make the Bears ultra-dangerous for somebody.  My guess is the Niners or Packers,  Eagles and Lions are a level above everyone else in the NFC.

[CubinNY]

1 hour ago, gflore34 said:

The unfortunate part of their schedule is that the really difficult stretch aligns with when I expect them to hit their offensive stride.  Late November into December Caleb and the offense will be cooking it'll make the Bears ultra-dangerous for somebody.  My guess is the Niners or Packers,  Eagles and Lions are a level above everyone else in the NFC.

The most unfortunate part of their schedule is that they are playing better teams than they have. 

[gflore34]

27 minutes ago, CubinNY said:

The most unfortunate part of their schedule is that they are playing better teams than they have. 

Offensively they'll be right there with any of those teams, defensively well, not much to say on that front.

[BigSlick]

Can Dennis Allen will this defense to being merely bad and not disastrous? That will be the coaching accomplishment of the season if so. They’re currently buoyed by forcing/accepting 4 turnovers a game, which is not something that’s sustainable. 
 

Can Ben Johnson accelerate the development of the offense to being decent to good as soon as possible? 
 

If both of those things can happen, like, now, they can still be in the postseason race by the really tough stretch at the end of the season. Odds are absolutely against that. But, if they can thread the needle, it would be a huge notch in their belts.

[gflore34]

3 minutes ago, BigSlick said:

Can Dennis Allen will this defense to being merely bad and not disastrous? That will be the coaching accomplishment of the season if so. They’re currently buoyed by forcing/accepting 4 turnovers a game, which is not something that’s sustainable. 
 

Can Ben Johnson accelerate the development of the offense to being decent to good as soon as possible? 
 

If both of those things can happen, like, now, they can still be in the postseason race by the really tough stretch at the end of the season. Odds are absolutely against that. But, if they can thread the needle, it would be a huge notch in their belts.

This is going to happen, don't think it'll be now.  More like November-December.

[Soul]

Ehhh.......31-24 Commanders.  I'm hoping for continued improvement, even on defense, which would bring the Commanders under 30 points and make this a dogfight.  My hopes would be raised if we get some of our starters back.

I'm looking for 3 TDs from the Bears' O.  If that happens, on the road, against what is considered a quality opponent, I'm going to be happy with Caleb & crew.

[jumbo]

2 hours ago, BigSlick said:

Can Dennis Allen will this defense to being merely bad and not disastrous? That will be the coaching accomplishment of the season if so. They’re currently buoyed by forcing/accepting 4 turnovers a game, which is not something that’s sustainable. 
 

Can Ben Johnson accelerate the development of the offense to being decent to good as soon as possible? 
 

If both of those things can happen, like, now, they can still be in the postseason race by the really tough stretch at the end of the season. Odds are absolutely against that. But, if they can thread the needle, it would be a huge notch in their belts.

The biggest obstacle Johnson faces is that instead of Detroit's front office he has Poles. 

Poles should cede the draft picks/free agent targets to Johnson and Dennis Allen. Deliver the scouting info to these two play callers and let Johnson stack the draft board. . 

[BigSlick]

I've been a Ryan Poles defender for the most part but the fact this team is 4 years into his tenure and talent-wise they really don't stack up with the best or even mediocre teams in the league is pretty damning. 

It's cool that he fleeced the Panthers in one of the most lopsided trades in the history of the NFL but you gotta do more than just accumulate draft capital, you also have to spend it wisely, and he's been subpar on that. 

[minnesotacubsfan]

12 hours ago, gflore34 said:

Offensively they'll be right there with any of those teams, defensively well, not much to say on that front.

defense wise they are about 27, but pass d is their stronger half (17) and their run D is atrocious. If they can keep that up while getting their injuries back (especially at linebacker) they could end up middle of the road, which would be a colossal achievement.

but mostly they kind of suck. I think the chance they could be ave is all Allen. I mean, look who built this group? Or maybe, look who this defense was built for? Eberflus. 

 

 

Edited October 8, 2025 by minnesotacubsfan

[gflore34]

12 hours ago, minnesotacubsfan said:

defense wise they are about 27, but pass d is their stronger half (17) and their run D is atrocious. If they can keep that up while getting their injuries back (especially at linebacker) they could end up middle of the road, which would be a colossal achievement.

but mostly they kind of suck. I think the chance they could be ave is all Allen. I mean, look who built this group? Or maybe, look who this defense was built for? Eberflus. 

 

 

Honestly, at this point, I could care less about the defense.  It's all about Caleb and the offense, once it's humming then use the off season to focus on the defense.  I'm probably wrong however, I believe it's easier to fix a defense than an offense - give the keys, free agency, drafting reports, etc. to Ben and Allen, let them work.  Poles should be used as nothing more than a conduit towards acquiring whomever Ben and Allen target.

[mul21]

Just now, gflore34 said:

Honestly, at this point, I could care less about the defense.  It's all about Caleb and the offense, once it's humming then use the off season to focus on the defense.  I'm probably wrong however, I believe it's easier to fix a defense than an offense - give the keys, free agency, drafting reports, etc. to Ben and Allen, let them work.  Poles should be used as nothing more than a conduit towards acquiring whomever Ben and Allen target.

Agree with this 100% because there are just more paths to a good defense.  It doesn't all hinge on one player being good enough to make the whole thing work like the QB on offense.  You still need good players but it's certainly possible to make it work in a quicker fashion.

[minnesotacubsfan]

7 minutes ago, gflore34 said:

Honestly, at this point, I could care less about the defense.  It's all about Caleb and the offense, once it's humming then use the off season to focus on the defense.  I'm probably wrong however, I believe it's easier to fix a defense than an offense - give the keys, free agency, drafting reports, etc. to Ben and Allen, let them work.  Poles should be used as nothing more than a conduit towards acquiring whomever Ben and Allen target.

theres no reason you cant work on the defense as well, which is hopefully thats what Allen is doing

[gflore34]

2 minutes ago, mul21 said:

Agree with this 100% because there are just more paths to a good defense.  It doesn't all hinge on one player being good enough to make the whole thing work like the QB on offense.  You still need good players but it's certainly possible to make it work in a quicker fashion.

Yes, look at all the ****** teams.  What's the common dominator?  Bad QB play, bad offenses. 

[NorthsideAvenger]

WASH needed a Stevenson boneheaded play to beat a bad Bears team last year. 

[jumbo]

23 hours ago, BigSlick said:

I've been a Ryan Poles defender for the most part but the fact this team is 4 years into his tenure and talent-wise they really don't stack up with the best or even mediocre teams in the league is pretty damning. 

It's cool that he fleeced the Panthers in one of the most lopsided trades in the history of the NFL but you gotta do more than just accumulate draft capital, you also have to spend it wisely, and he's been subpar on that. 

Check out Brad Holmes draft history - 7 pro bowl/all pro, 13 players are starters, only 2 players are unsigned/out of the league (all figures are from his first four drafts excluding 2025 draft class - total of 29 draft picks)

Year	Rnd	Player	Pick	Pos	College/Univ
2025	1	Tyleik Williams	28	DT	Ohio St.
2025	2	Tate Ratledge	57	OL	Georgia
2025	3	Isaac TeSlaa	70	WR	Arkansas
2025	5	Miles Frazier	171	G	LSU
2025	6	Ahmed Hassanein	196	DE	Boise St.
2025	7	Dan Jackson	230	SAF	Georgia
2025	7	Dominic Lovett	244	WR	Georgia
Year	Rnd	Player	Pick	Pos	College/Univ
2024	1	Terrion Arnold	24	DB	Alabama
2024	2	Ennis Rakestraw	61	DB	Missouri
2024	4	Giovanni Manu	126	OL	British Columbia
2024	4	Sione Vaki	132	SAF	Utah
2024	6	Mekhi Wingo	189	DT	LSU
2024	6	Christian Mahogany	210	OL	Boston Col.
Year	Rnd	Player	Pick	Pos	College/Univ
2023	1	Jahmyr Gibbs	12	RB	Alabama
2023	1	Jack Campbell	18	LB	Iowa
2023	2	Sam LaPorta	34	TE	Iowa
2023	2	Brian Branch	45	DB	Alabama
2023	3	Hendon Hooker	68	QB	Tennessee
2023	3	Brodric Martin	96	DT	Western Kentucky
2023	5	Colby Sorsdal	152	OL	William & Mary
2023	7	Antoine Green	219	WR	North Carolina
Year	Rnd	Player	Pick	Pos	College/Univ
2022	1	Aidan Hutchinson	2	DE	Michigan
2022	1	Jameson Williams	12	WR	Alabama
2022	2	Josh Paschal	46	DE	Kentucky
2022	3	Kerby Joseph	97	DB	Illinois
2022	5	James Mitchell	177	TE	Virginia Tech
2022	6	Malcolm Rodriguez	188	LB	Oklahoma St.
2022	6	James Houston	217	LB	Jackson St.
2022	7	Chase Lucas	237	DB	Arizona St.
Year	Rnd	Player	Pick	Pos	College/Univ
2021	1	Penei Sewell	7	OL	Oregon
2021	2	Levi Onwuzurike	41	DL	Washington
2021	3	Alim McNeill	72	DT	North Carolina St.
2021	3	Ifeatu Melifonwu	101	DB	Syracuse
2021	4	Amon-Ra St. Brown	112	WR	USC
2021	4	Derrick Barnes	113	DE	Purdue
2021	7	Jermar Jefferson	257	RB	Oregon St.

 

 

Compare to Poles - 0 (zero) pro bowl/all pro, 8 players are starters, 7 players are unsigned/out of the league (all figures are from his first three drafts excluding 2025 draft class - total of 26 draft picks)

Year	Rnd	Player	Pick	Pos	College/Univ
2025	1	Colston Loveland	10	TE	Michigan
2025	2	Luther Burden	39	WR	Missouri
2025	2	Ozzy Trapilo	56	OL	Boston Col.
2025	2	Shemar Turner	62	DE	Texas A&M
2025	4	Ruben Hyppolite	132	LB	Maryland
2025	5	Zah Frazier	169	CB	Texas-San Antonio
2025	6	Luke Newman	195	G	Michigan St.
2025	7	Kyle Monangai	233	RB	Rutgers
Year	Rnd	Player	Pick	Pos	College/Univ
2024	1	Caleb Williams	1	QB	USC
2024	1	Rome Odunze	9	WR	Washington
2024	3	Kiran Amegadjie	75	OL	Yale
2024	4	Tory Taylor	122	P	Iowa
2024	5	Austin Booker	144	DL	Kansas
Year	Rnd	Player	Pick	Pos	College/Univ
2023	1	Darnell Wright	10	OL	Tennessee
2023	2	Gervon Dexter	53	DL	Florida
2023	2	Tyrique Stevenson	56	CB	Miami (FL)
2023	3	Zacch Pickens	64	DL	South Carolina
2023	4	Roschon Johnson	115	RB	Texas
2023	4	Tyler Scott	133	WR	Cincinnati
2023	5	Noah Sewell	148	LB	Oregon
2023	5	Terell Smith	165	DB	Minnesota
2023	7	Travis Bell	218	DL	Kennesaw St.
2023	7	Kendall Williamson	258	S	Stanford
Year	Rnd	Player	Pick	Pos	College/Univ
2022	2	Kyler Gordon	39	CB	Washington
2022	2	Jaquan Brisker	48	S	Penn St.
2022	3	Velus Jones Jr.	71	WR	Tennessee
2022	5	Braxton Jones	168	OL	Southern Utah
2022	5	Dominique Robinson	174	DE	Miami (OH)
2022	6	Zachary Thomas	186	OL	San Diego St.
2022	6	Trestan Ebner	203	RB	Baylor
2022	6	Doug Kramer	207	OL	Illinois
2022	7	Ja'Tyre Carter	226	OL	Southern
2022	7	Elijah Hicks	254	S	California
2022	7	Trenton Gill	255	P	North Carolina St.

 

[gflore34]

Yes, Stevenson was a complete dumbass idiot last time in D.C.  Eberflus also shoulders some of the blame, he had a TO and just watched Tyrique put himself out of position being a horsefeathers child.  Should have used the TO to fix that, ultimately, though I say thank Commanders for winning.  Had the Bears won that game we might still be moaning about Eberflus.

[Hot Sauce]

Browns and Jaguars are swapping corners. Greg Newsome II to Jacksonville and Tyson Campbell to Cleveland.