Game Recap: Turnovers doom Commanders in home loss to Chicago Bears

Series history

These two teams have a long history of competition that dates back to a 7-7 tie in the burgundy & gold’s first year of existence as an NFL team, back when they were known as the Boston Braves.

The Washington / Chicago rivalry has been played out on the field 54 times (including 7 postseason games), with Washington winning 28 games and the Chicago Bears winning 25 games. They have also, as mentioned, tied one time.

• 2025 is the 4th consecutive year the two teams have played, with Washington winning 2 out of 3 from ‘22 to ‘24.
• Washington leads 9-2 since 2004; the burgundy & gold have a 9-4 in this century.
• The Redskins closed out the 20th century by winning 6 straight, and 8 of 9 between ‘87 & ‘99.
• The Redskins and Bears played each other in 4 league championship games, splitting 2-2
• They also played each other in 3 NFC playoff games, with Washington winning 2 out of 3.

Both teams competed regularly for championships in the late 30s and 40s. Both were consistent playoff teams in the 80s and early 90s. Both have had sporadic success this century (Chicago more so than Washington) amidst a lot of losing seasons, with neither team winning a playoff game between 2011 and 2023.

Washington has enjoyed more immediate success since the 2024 draft, but both fan bases feel a sense of optimism that comes with new coaching staffs and exciting young quarterbacks.

Week 5

Washington went on the road to Los Angeles and came home with a victory that not many NFL fans predicted, 27-10 over the Chargers. It was not a perfect game by the Commanders, but it was the first time in the 2025 season when the offense and defense looked. for significant chunks of the game, like the team that won 2 playoff games against two division winning teams in January.

The Bears enjoyed a BYE week, but they went into it riding a 2-game winning streak (after opening the season 0-2).

Common opponents

The Commanders will have to play, at some point in the 2025 season, every team that the Bears played in the first four weeks of the season, but the only one that both the Bears and Commanders have already faced is the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Bears beat the Raiders in Week 4, just before going on their bye week. Chicago closed out that 25-24 win with a blocked 54-yard field goal attempt with about 30 seconds left in the game.

Washington had beaten the Raiders a week earlier, with Marcus Mariota at quarterback, by a score of 41-24.

Running the ball

Based on a few basic metrics, it seems like an obvious game plan would be for the Commanders to plan on running the ball a lot on Monday night.

The Commanders lead the NFL in rushing yards per game and yards per attempt. Unlike last season, the...