People Missed The Best Part Of Chicago Bears' Streak-Busting Win

Many factors went into why the Chicago Bears finally got their first win in 15 games. Much of it was the blossoming connection of Justin Fields and D.J. Moore. They hooked up for 230 yards and three touchdowns. Fields finished with four touchdowns total. If that weren't enough, the defense compiled five sacks on Sam Howell, finally getting the critical plays they needed to close a game out. It was the first time the defense hadn't allowed 25 points or more in almost a year.

However, that wasn't the best part. What stood out about that game was how many big contributions the Bears got from their draft class. Multiple players stepped up in prominent roles to help get it done. GM Ryan Poles has gotten lots of criticism lately, but it's becoming more apparent each week that he may have done pretty well with the 2023 draft.

The Chicago Bears should be excited about their rookie class.

Darnell Wright

Once again, the 10th overall pick stepped up when the Bears needed him. While Washington's talented defensive ends had occasional wins against him, the rookie was stout in pass protection for long stretches of the game. Where he really stood out was the ground game. Chicago had frequent success running the ball to his side of the field. He was also an absolute menace when he got into open space, frequently steamrolling Washington defensive backs that were unfortunate enough to get in his way.

Gervon Dexter

The glimpses haven't been huge, but they've been present for the past few weeks. Dexter has shown signs of progress each week. Thursday night was probably his best game. He helped hold Washington to just 29 yards rushing and had multiple wins as an interior pass rusher, claiming two hits on the quarterbacks and a few other pressures. His fundamentals are improving. You're seeing more and more flashes of that athleticism and closing speed.

Terell Smith

A myriad of injuries in the secondary forced the Chicago Bears to play several backups. The 5th round pick from Minnesota played pretty well against Denver with several tackles, including one for a loss. His biggest moment yet came in this game. After Washington narrowed the gap to 27-11, they got the ball back and were driving for more. Smith worked to wrap up tight end Logan Thomas on a pass play and stripped him of the ball. The turnover didn't result in points, but it did rob the Commanders of some momentum.

This showing was a reminder that Poles may have this team pointed in the right direction. It comes down to whether they can get the right coaching. That remains to be determined. Still, if Wright and Dexter keep progressing at this rate, the Bears will be in great shape by next season.