Bears Game Day Live: TJ Edwards Talks About Bears’ Defensive Opportunities Against Washington
TJ Edwards expressed his enthusiasm for moments when the Bears’ defense gets the opportunity to showcase its capabilities. In a conversation with Cassie Carlson earlier this week, he emphasized the team’s eagerness to excel against the Commanders during their upcoming matchup.
The Chicago Bears fell on the final play, culminating in a disheartening defeat.
The Commanders established dominance early in the game, with Jayden Daniels displaying impressive control right from kick-off. Despite the Bears’ defense putting forth a valiant effort, they were predominantly on the back foot.
By the start of the third quarter, Washington racked up an impressive 300 yards of offensive yards, while the Bears found themselves stranded with only 93 yards to their name at the nine-minute mark of the same quarter.
However, the Bears somehow remained competitive and staged a late-game comeback.
Ultimately, heartbreak was the outcome.
Here are our key takeaways from the Week 8 game held in Landover, Maryland.
The Bears Came Out Flat
Caleb Williams’ disappointing statline at halftime mirrored the Bears’ overall lackluster performance: just 3 of 8 passing for a mere 33 yards.
It wasn’t just the lack of production; the Bears struggled with their attempts, as Washington effectively stifled the Bears’ offensive rhythm and maintained control of the ball to prevent any spark of momentum.
The Bears had come off a high note after their London trip, but that energy completely vanished during the bye week, leaving the team to spend much of the game scrambling to regain their footing.
A significant contributor to the Bears’ sluggish start seemed to be an absence of creativity in their offensive strategy.
During prior matchups against both the Panthers and Jaguars, the Bears demonstrated their ability to devise innovative plays and effectively targeted the middle of the field with diverse throws to various receivers. In contrast, against the Commanders, the playbook seemed stifled and uninspired.
The Bears finally sprung to life at the end of the third quarter with a stunning 56-yard touchdown run executed by D’Andre Swift. This well-orchestrated play not only highlighted Swift’s explosive play-making ability but also raised hopes among the fans.
However, it took nearly three full quarters for such a meaningful play to come to fruition.
The Chicago Bears Defense Showed Up
Despite the struggles faced by the Bears’ offense throughout the contest, they still had an opportunity to take the lead late in the fourth quarter.
That chance could largely be credited to another impressive defensive stand by the Bears.
Notably, this defensive output was not quite what Bears fans have come to expect. The defense failed to force any turnovers, a tactic the Bears have relied on in the past to swing momentum in their favor.
There were moments during the game when the Bears’ offense found themselves pressured. A clear example was the failed fourth-and-one attempt where a screen pass to DJ Moore was blown up at the line, resulting in a turnover on downs and gifting Washington prime field position.
Still, the takeaway was that the Bears’ defense remained resolute and did not concede under pressure.
They left many opportunities on the table for the offense, primarily thanks to the steadfast play of the Bears’ defensive unit.
Challenges for the Offensive Line
During the third quarter, the Bears did find success when they converted a pivotal third-and-two with a pass to DJ Moore, momentarily boosting hopes on the sideline.
However, the joy was short-lived as the play was nullified due to an illegal formation penalty called on Darnell Wright, quickly followed by a false start on Teven Jenkins.
Washington’s defensive front proved to be a formidable challenge, with key players like Da’Ron Payne and Jer’Zahn Newton consistently applying pressure. This made it impossible for the Bears to establish a rhythm, both in the passing and ground games.
Although Swift’s 56-yard touchdown run was a well-executed play that finally broke through the Commanders’ defense, it took an unacceptably long time to reach that point of success.
The difficulties mounted when starting left tackle Braxton Jones exited the game in the second quarter due to a knee injury, ruling him out for the rest of the matchup. Jenkins would later suffer an injury in the fourth quarter as well, holding his left knee in pain.
This early exit forced rookie third-round pick Kiran Amegadije into the left tackle position, with Bill Murray stepping in at guard, creating a challenging day for the front line against Washington.
In the End…
Despite the adversity, the Bears still found themselves with a potential chance to clinch victory, operating from the one-yard line.
Roschon Johnson successfully punched it in for a touchdown.
Yet, the Bears succumbed to a loss during the final moments.
A desperate Hail Mary from Daniels translated to the Bears’ demise.
Having a chance to disrupt the play, the Bears instead watched as it fell into the hands of Noah Brown.
This crushing defeat left them reeling and needing time to reflect and recuperate.
