The Chicago Bears defense has played with an attitude all season and led the way as the offense finds its footing. Now, coming off of a bye week and heading to face the Washington Commanders on the road, nothing has changed.
The game could potentially see the top two picks in the NFL draft — Bears rookie QB Caleb Williams and Commanders rookie signal caller Jayden Daniels — square off in a battle between two NFC teams clearly on the rise.
However, Daniels suffered a rib injury early in his team’s 40-7 drubbing of the Carolina Panthers last week. It remains unclear whether Daniels will be able to go on Sunday, October 27, against the Bears as he continues to rehabilitate.
But Jaylon Johnson, Chicago’s star cornerback, doesn’t care one way or the other and said as much when asked if he has a preference between facing Daniels or backup QB Marcus Mariota.
“Honestly, I don’t give a damn who is out there,” Johnson said, per the CHGO Bears X account. I’m looking forward to whooping their *** either way.”
Bears Defense Has Been Top-10 in NFL This Season
GettyChicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson.
The matchup between Chicago’s defense and Washington’s offense should be a spectacular one if all of the major players are healthy.
According to FTN, the Bears defense ranks seventh in the NFL in DVOA, while the Commanders offense ranks third in DVOA.
Chicago has surrendered the fourth-fewest passing yards per attempt (6.4) in the league to date, and has created 7 INTs compared to allowing just 4 TDs through the air. Meanwhile, Daniels has completed more than 75% of his passes for 1,410 yards and 6 TDs compared to just 2 INTs. Not only is he the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year honors at the moment, but Daniels is also firmly in the league’s MVP conversation one-third of the way into his first season.
Williams got off to a slower start, but has come on over the past four games. During those contests, he has surpassed 300 yards passing on two occasions and thrown for 9 TDs compared to 3 INTs.
The Bears’ schedule has been relatively easy, with all four wins coming against opponents who each have a single victory this year heading into Week 8. That will make Washington one of Chicago’s truest tests through the first half of the season, and playing against Daniels is the toughest version of that test.
Commanders Positioned Jayden Daniels as Unlikely to Play This Week
GettyWashington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Jonathon Jones of CBS Sports reported that Daniels will be a game-time decision come Sunday’s showdown.
“Sources have cast doubt on Daniels’ availability all week due to his rib injury, though the No. 2 overall pick was a limited participant at practice Friday,” Jones reported. “The Bears have operated this week as though Mariota would be the likely starter. Sources say they view the offense as being similar no matter the quarterback, though Daniels offers a more dynamic option with both his feet and legs.”
A win for Chicago, which would put the team at 5-2 on the season, would be massive with the Arizona Cardinals coming up next and the one-win New England Patriots on the slate for Week 10.
Following those contests, the Bears’ schedule gets much more difficult, as they play all three of their NFC North Division opponents twice, as well as the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers and the NFC West Division-leading Seattle Seahawks over the last eight weeks of the season.
