While both the Washington Redskins and Chicago Bears got to sit back on Sunday and watch an exciting NFL slate, it will be their time to take the field on Monday night in front of a national audience, both looking for a crucial victory.
For the Redskins, an 0-2 start spells more disaster than there’s actually been. While the offense has been impressive at times, the defense was been atrocious, letting two early leads slip away.
In Chicago, a highly anticipated season has taken an early detour, and their only win came after a couple of bogus calls late in the game against the Denver Broncos benefited them greatly.
It’s safe to say that both teams need a win in the worst way on Monday night. With this game on tap, we took the opportunity to have a conversation with Alyssa Barbieri, the managing editor at Bears Wire.
Zachary Neel: The Bears are 1-1, but with a late-win over the Denver Broncos last week — which many say shouldn’t count because of an egregious personal foul called in the waning seconds — but they could easily be 0-2. How do you feel about Chicago so far? Is this a must-win game on Monday?
Alyssa Barbieri: The Bears could very easily be 0-2 right now, and it’s safe to say there would be a completely different attitude heading into this game if that were the case. Luckily for the Bears, they’re 1-1 with a chance to garner their first winning record of the season in what’s a favorable matchup on offense and defense.
My faith in Chicago’s defense remains strong, especially when you hold Aaron Rodgers to 10 points and hold the Broncos to just two field goals until the final two minutes. While Chuck Pagano has taken over at defensive coordinator, the foundation remains in firm place. It’s the offense that is the glaring question mark, led by Mitch Trubisky. But it’s not just Trubisky. It’s Matt Nagy’s playcalling. It was the offensive line’s play. The offense’s struggles feel like a ticking time bomb that this team needs to find a way to diffuse sooner rather than later, sooner hopefully being Monday night.
I don’t want to say Monday is a must-win game for the Bears, but at the same time if they don’t win this game — and if it’s on the offense — then fans will be sounding the panic alarm.
Barbieri: What do you think is the biggest reason why the Redskins are 0-2? Is this really an 0-2 team?
Neel: In a wild contradiction to preseason expectations, the Redskins have been relying heavily on their offense to keep them in games, while the defense is largely responsible for both losses so far. Case Keenum has been adequate this year, and the offense as a whole has been, not great, but not horrendous either. With two blown leads already under their belt, it’s fair to say that Washington should at least be 1-1, had their defense not completely fallen apart down the stretch against both the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys.
Neel: This is now Year 3 for Mitch Trubisky, and everyone’s expecting him to either take final form as a productive NFL quarterback, or fall by the wayside as another bust. Which do you think it is?
Barbieri: To be honest, I don’t know yet. Trubisky has shown flashes of his potential to be a great quarterback, and then he’s had flashes where he doesn’t look like he knows what he’s doing out there. But I’d lean more toward him becoming a productive passer in this league than a bust. Consistency is the biggest key with him. He needs to put together a string of productive games. It’s a matter of him being too much in his head. When he goes out there and just plays football, he excels, as evidenced by those final drives against the Eagles and Broncos. But when he thinks too much, that’s when he gets in trouble.
There have been plenty of excuses over Trubisky’s first two seasons — being limited with John Fox and Dowell Loggains, not having viable offensive weapons, and last year, learning a new offense. But this is the year that the excuses stop. I’m not jumping ship on the kid, but this season is huge in terms of whether or not he’s the Bears’ quarterback of the future. The simple fact of the matter is, right now, Trubisky isn’t showing development in Year 3. Hopefully that changes in the coming weeks.
Barbieri: The Redskins defense has given up 30-plus points in its first two games. What do you think is the cause of their struggles?
Neel: It may be a cop-out answer, but early injuries have been pretty detrimental to production. Starting cornerbacks Quinton Dunbar and Fabian Moreau have yet to see the field this season, and defensive lineman Jonathan Allen left the game against Philadelphia midway through the first half, at which point the Eagles started to finally move the ball on offense. There are several other players on that side of the ball who have been mediocre at best, but when you look at where the Redskins have really been getting beat in the first two weeks — rushing the quarterback and over the top — it’s hard not to point out injuries as a large factor.
Neel: I mentioned the win over Denver earlier, but I want to go back to that. After the ‘double-doink’ and Chicago’s long and tortured history with placekickers, describe the feeling in Chicago, and how elated Bears fans are to have a reliable kicker once again.
Barbieri: It’s funny because the biggest concern heading into this season was about stability at kicker, which it should’ve been. And now, it’s an afterthought. Almost like Eddy Pineiro has been our kicker for years. Pineiro has jumped off to a great start, including booting a game-winning field goal against the Broncos the way his predecessor could not last January. So Bears fans are definitely excited and relieved that it looks like Chicago finally found its kicker.
But with that said, I’m quick not to get too comfortable with the idea that Chicago’s kicker woes are suddenly fixed. It’s only been two games, and while Pineiro has been great so far, let’s see if he can be consistent in the long haul.
Barbieri: The Bears offense has struggled in these first two weeks. What do they need to do in order to take advantage of the Redskins porous defense on Monday?
Neel: Unfortunately for Chicago, what they likely need to do is something they rarely try — utilize the deep ball. While it’s possible that the Redskins might return to full health in the secondary, they still are very susceptible to getting beat over the top, and that’s where they’ve given up a majority of their points so far. Of course, Chicago fans know that they might have trouble exploiting that weakness with Trubisky and his atrocious 4.75 yards per pass attempt. It’s tough to say who will bend to the other’s will on Monday night; it could be that the Washington defense is just what the Bears need in order to get things going; it could be that the Chicago offense gives the Redskins a jumping-off point for the rest of the season. Only time will tell.
Neel: The Redskins are 0-2, but they’ve actually shown some offensive prowess in the first two weeks. When you look at Washington’s roster, who scares you the most on Monday night, and why?
Barbieri: So this might be the paranoid Bears fan within me, but Adrian Peterson always makes me uneasy … after all of the big games he’s had against the Bears in the past. Look, I know that this isn’t the same Adrian Peterson that has burned the Bears for years, and I also know this isn’t the same Bears defense that let him. But every time Peterson lines up to face the Bears, every horrific scenario plays out in my mind.
Outside of that, receiver Terry McLaurin is someone the Bears defense needs to worry about, and I’m sure they know it. They don’t call him “Scary Terry” for nothing. He’s certainly Washington’s biggest offensive threat, as evidenced by his 10 catches for 187 yards and two touchdowns, and Chicago needs to contain him.
Barbieri: What can we expect from this Redskins offense?
Neel: As stated earlier, the Washington offense has been the biggest surprise so far this season, averaging 24 ppg so far this year. Keenum has been at times impressive, as he’s thrown five touchdowns and zero interceptions so far. A matchup against the Bears defense will be a very tough test for him, but expect the Redskins to try and attack it through the air, rather than on the ground this week. While a run-game spearheaded by Adrian Peterson has been mundane, there are at times flashes of brilliance in the secondary with rookie wide receiver Terry McLaurin making waves early in his career. If Washington can get their passing game going, and the defense proves to be adequate, they could potentially make life tough on the Bears.
Neel: If I were to give you $100 to wager on the spread (Bears -3.5), the moneyline (Bears -200) or the over/under (41.5), how would you allocate your capital?
Barbieri: Well, since you’re offering … I’ll put $50 on the spread (I’ll take the Bears and the points), $25 on the under and give me the Bears straight up for $25. The good news is if this blows up in my face, it’s not my money.
Barbieri: What’s your prediction for the game?
Neel: It’s hard not to judge these teams based on what our expectations were for them coming out of the gate. With those narratives in mind, the Redskins stock has gone slightly up despite an 0-2 record, but the Bears’ stock is down, winning their only game on a couple of calls that could be described as questionable, at best.
Injuries have been the main detractor for Washington so far, and there are a few players trending in the direction of playing on Monday night. I think the Redskins will end up with an upset victory at home in front of the few fans in attendance. Redskins 20, Bears 16
