Takeaways from the Chicago Bears’ afternoon game against the Washington Commanders

Oh. Oh no.

The Chicago Bears fell on the final play.

The commanders came out strong. Jayden Daniels was in charge from the start. The Bears defense did everything it could.

An example: Washington had 300 yards of offense early in the third quarter; The Bears had 93 yards of total offense through nine minutes in the third quarter.

But the Bears were never really out of it and eventually turned it into a game.

It all led to heartbreak.

Here are our takeaways from the Week 8 match in Landover, Maryland.

The Bears came out extra flat

Caleb Williams’ halftime statline reflected the entire performance as a whole: 3 of 8 passing for 33 yards.

It wasn’t just the lack of production, it was the lack of trying. Washington simply controlled the football and kept the Bears from gaining any momentum.

That momentum reached a record high in London. It evaporated during the bye week, and the Bears spent the better part of three quarters trying to find it again.

A good reason why it never existed to start was because the Bears had nothing going for them offensively.

Against the Panthers and Jaguars, the Bears had creative play, attacking the middle of the field with different throws to different receivers. The Bears attacked Carolina with DJ Moore; The Bears attacked Jacksonville with Keenan Allen. Those actions did not pass muster against the Commanders.

The Bears woke up late in the third with a 56-yard touchdown run by D’Andre Swift. It was a well-designed play that ended in a score and showed off Swift’s great playing ability.

But it took almost three quarters to get that play on the field.

The Chicago Bears defense was ready for Week 8

Despite all the problems the Bears offense had, it had a chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter.

Put that on another defensive stand.

It wasn’t the kind of defensive performance Bears fans are used to. They didn’t force turnovers, which is one way the Bears have cultivated momentum for themselves in the past.

There were a few moments where the Bears’ offense got itself back on its heels. One such moment was the failed fourth-and-one where the Bears threw a screen to Moore that blew up at the line of scrimmage and forced a turnover on downs. That gave Washington the ball in midfield.

The bottom line, however, was that the Bears’ defense didn’t break.

There were so many opportunities for the Bears offense. That was thanks to the Bears’ defense.

It wasn’t a good game for the offensive line

In the third quarter, the Bears converted a third-and-2 on a pass to DJ Moore.

The play was called back by an illegal formation on Darnell Wright. That penalty was followed by a false start by Teven Jenkins.

Washington’s defensive front is talented. Da’Ron Payne and Jer’Zahn Newton provided consistent pressure and the Bears were never able to get into a rhythm in the passing game nor did they ever establish the run.

Swift’s long touchdown run was a great play call that broke through. It took forever to get to that point. Washington made life difficult for the Bears, and it made matters worse when starting left tackle Braxton Jones left the game in the second quarter and was ruled out due to a knee injury. Jenkins was also injured in the fourth quarter, holding his left knee.

That left third-round rookie Kiran Amegadije at left tackle and Bill Murray at guard. That was just a rough day at the office for the Bear Front.

After all that…

The Bears still had a chance to win the game by one yard.

Roschon Johnson hit the ball in.

But the Bears lost on the final play.

Heartache.