The Chicago Bears will have this weekend off after winning their first game of the 2023 season and their first game in over a calendar year on Thursday Night against the Washington Commanders. The victory featured the second consecutive four-touchdown pass game from embattled quarterback Justin Fields and a historic performance from wide receiver DJ Moore. With Chicago having eight days off until their next game against the Minnesota Vikings on October 15th, The extended time off following a win is arriving at the perfect time for the Bears.
Time Off Allows An Injury Plagued Team To Heal Up
The most significant and rewarding advantage of playing the Thursday Night Football game right now is that it allows a Bears team decimated by injuries early this season, especially in the defensive secondary, to recover. Chicago has played most of the young season without their season-opening starting secondary, which included cornerbacks Kyler Gordon and Jaylon Johnson, along with former All-Pro safety Eddie Jackson. With the extended time off between the game against the Commanders and their next contest against the Vikings, all three defensive backs are expected back and play on October 15th.
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Chicago has not had the same defense since losing some of their most important players from the onset of the season in the first game against the Green Bay Packers. Gordon broke his hand in the 1st half of the season-opening game and was slated for a breakout year after recording three interceptions as a rookie in 2022. Jackson, who led the Bears' defense with four interceptions despite playing in just 12 games, has been sidelined with a foot injury since the first quarter of the Tampa Bay game in Week 2. Johnson, who is viewed as the team's best cornerback, suffered a hamstring injury early in the Week 3 game against the Chiefs.
With almost all the starting defensive secondary sidelined, head coach Matt Eberflus has had to rely on several rookie and inexperienced defensive backs to take the field for the players lost to injury. It has led to one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL, as opposing quarterbacks are averaging over 286 passing yards per game and have allowed a 300-yard passer in three of their five contests. With Johnson, Jackson, and Gordon likely returning against Minnesota, Chicago's defense has a chance to improve soon.
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Another position that will benefit from the mini-bye week will be the offensive line, as they have dealt with injuries and hardships to begin the season. Offensive guard Tevin Jenkins returned against Washington after being sidelined since training camp with a calf injury, while Nate Davis has now played well in two consecutive games after missing Chicago's Week 2 game against Tampa Bay due to a death in his family. Having Jenkins and Davis get extended playing time following their difficult situations bodes well for a Bears' offensive line that has been struggling to solidify continuity this season.
Although starting center Lucas Patrick suffered an injury against the Commanders, it enabled Chicago to finally execute their initial plan from the beginning of training camp for the interior of their offensive line. Going forward, they now have extended time for Davis, Jenkins, and their desired center, Cody Whitehair, got game experience along with now practice experience before their next game. Despite not having starting left tackle Braxton Jones for the foreseeable future with a neck injury, it appears that Chicago will have a solid offense line finally in place for quarterback Justin Fields.
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The lone downside to Chicago's win Thursday over Washington was the amount of injuries the team suffered in the game. The Bears' offense had over ten players come off the field with injuries, including all three running backs. Khalil Herbert, Roschon Johnson, and Travis Homer all left the game hurt and were unable to finish the game. Although the injuries don't appear significant, the extended time off allows all three running backs to avoid missing any time and likely play against the Vikings.
Bears Get To Build Momentum With The Extended Time Off
Since the embarrassing 41-10 Week 3 loss against Chiefs, the Bears offense has scored over 68 points, while Fields has thrown eight touchdowns in the last two games. After struggling mightily offensively through the first three games, offensive coordinator Luke Getsy appears to have finally figured out a game plan that works for his quarterback. With two consecutive games that featured four touchdown drives, the extended time off enables Chicago's offense to start scheming new plays and designs off of what has worked for them the last two weeks.
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With the success of the passing offense, as Fields has thrown for over 600 yards, along with stabilization of the offensive line, Chicago's rushing attack could be in a position to be explosive over the next few games. Before being lost for the game with an ankle injury, Herbert had rushed over 74 yards on just ten carries, including multiple rushing attempts over 15 yards or longer. Additionally, A successful rushing offense, in turn, makes the passing attack even stronger as defenses could be more confused by play-action pass attempts.
Snapping a 14-game streak followed by ten days off allows the Bears to practice with momentum, with several favorable games coming up in a row. Chicago's next five opponents are Minnesota, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Carolina, of which only the Chargers and Saints are at .500. There is a strong possibility that the Bears, after being mired in the longest losing streak in franchise history could go on a nice winning streak, which would be a very welcomed sight after the events to begin the season.
