Bears vs. Commanders Prediction: Payback time for "Fail Mary" |
Dustin Riese
· · 3 hours ago
Monday is a very important night for the Chicago Bears as they return to the scene of the crime. For those who may have forgotten, the Bears were one play away from positioning themselves in an excellent spot for a potential playoff push, only to have a historically bad play alter the course of their season. We are talking about the infamous Fail Mary as the Bears are set to take on the Washington Commanders on Monday Night.
It's hard to believe that one play could single-handedly derail a team's season, but that is the case with the Fail Mary, as that play alone sent the Chicago Bears into a tailspin they were never able to climb out of. With a shot at making the fans forget about that game last season, the Bears are back in Washington and are a well-rested group as they are coming off one of their earliest Bye weeks in recent memory. The Fail Mary isn't the only storyline surrounding this game, as this will be the second time in as many seasons that the top two picks from the 2024 NFL draft will be facing off, as Jayden Daniels and Caleb Williams are going head to head once again. Although the overall results from both quarterbacks aren't where some of the greats have been after two seasons, one has to wonder if this is going to be the new era's version of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, which may not be a bad idea for the NFL to promote. With both teams coming off wins in their previous games, this is a massive game for plenty of reasons. A win by the Bears will move them above .500 for the first time in nearly a year, while the Commanders can move into first place in the NFC East with a win on their end. Talk about an exciting matchup, to say the least, and a great way to close out week six. Here are some things to look for ahead of the primetime matchup:
There is no question that Daniels is one of the more dynamic quarterbacks in the league and he put that on display during his rookie season. His second season hasn't gone as planned thus far, as Daniels has missed multiple games with a knee injury, and when he was on the field, he wasn't as sharp as he had been. Now back in the lineup, the Commanders have their franchise quarterback under center as he looks to lead the team into first place. The biggest question for the Commanders is how healthy Daniels is, and can the Bears capitalize on the situation if he isn't healthy. If Daniels wasn't healthy enough to go, there is no way the Commanders would put him out there. Even then, he may not be 100% healthy, and that alone could impact how he plays the game. A fully healthy Daniels is a problem for any defense, so getting him at potentially less than 100% is a massive advantage for the Bears. Look for them to pressure him early to try to get him off his spot, as Chicago wants to make him as uncomfortable as possible.
When the Fail Mary unfolded before everyone's eyes, it was viewed as an incredible play and one of the best of the NFL season. While that may be true, Stevenson was on the losing end of that play as he was the one who failed to knock the ball down in that situation. To make matters worse, there was a moment before the play occurred when Stevenson turned his back to the field and talking with fans in the stands. In essence, it was as if he wasn't ready for that play to happen, and you saw that based on the way he defended that play and the overall result of it. From that moment on, Stevenson went through one of the toughest seasons of his career, as the fans made sure he wouldn't forget what had happened, which ultimately led him to get into his own head and become a liability on the field. Not only does that not appear to be an issue, but Stevenson has matured significantly since that play and has acknowledged that he made a significant mistake during the game last season. What better way to get the fans behind you again than by going into the place where this happened and putting on a so-called revenge performance? No one is saying for him to go out there and have a massive day, but all it will take is for him to come up clutch in a huge moment that could decide whether or not the Bears come away with the win.
This is a broad statement, but it is more directed at the defensive front for the Chicago Bears. Despite investing a significant amount of financial capital to improve this team's pass rush, the results haven't been promising, as the Bears continue to struggle when it comes to getting to the quarterback. What better way to turn things around than by going up against an offensive line that ranks in the bottom third of the league? If you had to pick a weakness among the Commanders, it would be their offensive line, which was a significant reason for Daniels' injury and the early-season struggles of the offense. This is the perfect matchup for players like Montez Sweat, Gervon Dexter, and the entire defensive front, as they will have plenty of opportunities to get after Daniels. If by some chance their struggles are to continue, you have to take a long look at the Dennis Allen scheme and start to ask the question as to whether or not this pass rush will get going at any point this season.
There have been a lot of great matchups this weekend, but this could be the most exciting game of the weekend. Not only does this game feature two of the youngest and most promising quarterbacks in the game, but it also features two teams with playoff aspirations, having done a phenomenal job of building their rosters from the ground up. This is one of those games where one or two plays could determine the outcome, and that should be the case in this one. Look for this one to go down to the final whistle, but it is the Bears, finding a way to get it done as they hold on for the 24-21 win.How healthy is Jayden Daniels?
Time for Tyrique Stevenson to get his revenge
Time for the pass rush to step up
Prediction: BEAR DOWN 24-21
