The Chicago Bears will be the last game of Week 6, as they have taken their show on the road to square off against the Washington Commanders. This is an NFC battle that could have tiebreaker implications down the line.
While the Bears were waiting for their tilt, there was some positive movement inside the NFC North. On Sunday Night Football, the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Detroit Lions 30-17. That dropped the Lions to 4-2 on the year.
This makes Chicago's contest against the Commanders that more important, as a win will put the Bears just one game behind Detroit in the division standings.
Bears Could Heat Up NFC North Race with Win Against Commanders
The Bears were on a bye in Week 5, which gave them a nice pause to regroup. During that process, they decided to bench Braxton Jones in favor of Theo Benedet. They are also expected to get Kyler Gordon in action for the first time in 2025, and Washington will be without receivers Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown.
The Bears still have a tough matchup at their hands, as Jayden Daniels is one of the best young signal-callers in the league. Last season, these teams played, with Washington securing an 18-15 win. In that heartbreaking loss, Daniels lofted a Hail Mary pass to Brown, who reeled it in as time expired.
Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson was seen mocking fans and tipped the pass that ended up in Brown's hands. He faced a ton of backlash, which he said "still hurts." This is just another piece of motivation for the Bears to put their best foot forward.
Anytime a division rival loses, it's a good day in Chicago. And since the Lions already beat the Bears once this season, they are playing catch-up. In the process of the loss to Kansas City, Lions safety Brian Branch mushed Chiefs WR JuJu Smith-Schuster in the face. That will undoubtedly lead to a fine, and there's a possibility of more, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
That is less than ideal since the Lions' secondary is already missing starting DBs D.J. Reed and Terrion Arnold.
While Detroit attempts to navigate that, the Bears are focused on the task at hand. Taking care of business on the field is what they need to continue doing, and that starts against Washington on Monday night. Securing a third straight win will not only boost the team's confidence but also help them gain ground on a division rival.