Three Takeaways from Bears' comeback win over Commanders

Geoff Burke - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese · Senior Writer · 3 hours ago

It didn't come easily, which it never does, and it wasn't pretty, but once again, the Bears found a way to win a football game as they topped the Washington Commanders 25-24 on Monday. That marks two consecutive wins by the same scoreline, and for a team that has struggled to win games in recent years, they will take any win they can get.

What stood out the most about last night's game was the fight that this team showed as they watched a 13-0 lead evaporate in the blink of an eye, as the Commanders surged ahead 24-16 in the second half. The Bears teams of the past would've pressed at that point, and there is a good chance that things would've gotten out of hand before they could battle back.

That's not in this team's DNA, as Ben Johnson has instilled in the team a belief that they can win, rather than just hoping to win, and the results are starting to show. At 3-2, Chicago is entering a stretch of games where it should be able to secure some wins, as it is well-positioned heading into the season's stretch run. Here are some takeaways from the win.

That is the D'Andre Swift the Bears have been waiting for

We may only be six weeks into the NFL season, but given its brevity, that is already a third of the way through. This is the point in the season when you start to get a sense of which teams are contenders and which teams are pretenders, as the Bears fall into the middle of both categories.

Heading into the game, there were several areas the Bears wanted to improve upon, and their rushing attack was the primary focus, as Kyle Monangai and Swift were off to a horrible start. Perhaps the Bye week helped the Bears figure out their rushing attack as they looked like a completely different offense on Monday, especially when it comes to rushing the football.

Their offensive line deserves plenty of credit for that, but you also have to credit Monangai and Swift for putting in the work, as they have heard all the outside noise. Swift, in particular, had a monster game and put forth one of those games that the Bears have been waiting for. Not only did he finish with 108 yards on the ground with an impressive 7.7 yards per carry, but he also led the team with 67 yards receiving, anchored by a 55-yard touchdown.

That makes 175 total yards, the second-highest combined total for a Bears running back in franchise history against the Commanders in a game. No one expects this from Swift the rest of the way, but these are the types of performances he is capable of, and the Bears need to see it on a more consistent basis.

The Bears defense sets the tone

There is an old saying that defense wins championships, and for the most part, the Bears' Defense has been good enough to win games. Keep in mind that Chicago has been without several starters on the defensive side since the start of the season, as their depth has been tested in recent games.

Monday marked a step in the right direction for the team's health, as several of their injured players returned to the lineup, with more expected to return in the coming weeks. The end result was a solid defensive showing against Jayden Daniels as the Bears made the Commanders work for every yard.

Sure, giving up 24 points isn't ideal, but the Bears came into the game with a bend, but not break mentality, and for the most part, that worked as they forced three Washington turnovers in the game, including one that led to the game-winning score. Anytime you can force three turnovers, you put yourself in a great spot, and the Bears used that momentum to fuel their offense, scoring on all three of those turnovers.

Do we have a kicking controversy?

As good as Cairo Santos has been since coming to Chicago, there has been some rumbling going around camp that he could be on an extremely short leash this season. After missing a few kicks early in the season, Santos was put on notice as the Bears plucked Jake Moody from the free agent wire and stashed him on their practice squad ahead of week three.

The former 49ers kicker had a strong rookie season in 2023, but the past few seasons have been a struggle, as they didn't waste any time letting him go. When it was revealed that Santos would miss Monday's game due to an injury, Moody was elevated, and the rest was history. He put on a phenomenal performance, knocking home four of his five field goal attempts, including the game-winner as time expired.

His lone miss wasn't his fault as it was blocked at that line, but a miss is a miss, and that is something the Bears need to clean up. Still, Moody had as good a Bears debut as Chicago could've hoped for, and it further raises the question of whether Santos will keep his job for the rest of the way.