Less is More for Bears and Commanders
The Bears and Washington Commanders have impressed no one this season, although Matt Eberflus' team has understandably displayed more upside.
A team in the first year of a rebuild always has the future on its side and coach Ron Rivera's Commanders are three seasons into this mess without much progress.
The one thing neither team needs to worry about is being able to top last Thursday night's game.
TICKETS TO SEE JUSTIN FIELDS AND BEARS AVAILABLE FROM SI TICKETS
The game between Indianapolis and Denver was bad from the start right up until the time Russell Wilson didn't even see a wide-open receiver with the chance to win it.
That game between the Broncos and Colts was the closest thing the NFL has to soccer: a 12-9 Colts victory.
It was so ugly and boring that Denver's ABC affiliate came on the air and apologized to fans afterward for what they had to sit through.
For the Bears and Commanders to achieve such a low level of play in Thursday night's game would surprise no one.
Part of the reason for that poorly played game last week and other Thursday night games like it lately is the lack of preparation and recovery time since the combatants' previous game.
For that reason, the Bears used a different approach to practice this week and didn't practice until the day before a game, when home teams traditionally hold only walk-throughs.
"I just think that when we looked at it, it was more of a benefit to rest for that longer period of time (after last game) and then peak because it's a night game, obviously," coach Matt Eberflus said. "And we have time to come back down before we go back up. So it's all really working with the performance staff and figure out what's best for us.
"Then you look at the health of our team, we came out pretty healthy last week, so it was more of a function of that."
Translated: They've tried everything else so what the heck?
AS IF WASHINGTON DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH TO WORRY ABOUT
There are a few wild cards in this one making it likely to produce more excitement than last week's game, even if neither team has had proper time to prepare.
There is Justin Fields' ability to improvise and run for big yardage and that requires no coaching or rest. He and Darnell Mooney seem to be getting a feel for each other on deeper passes, although it needs a bit of fine-tuning because Mooney is catching these leaping and with one hand.
Carson Wentz can bring down the thunder, there is no doubt. He threw for 359 yards against the Tennessee Titans, who once had a strong defense but seem to be teetering these days.
With little preparation time, the plays made that require less rehearsal would seem better and Fields' scrambling and running on RPOs loom big here. They did manage to foul this up last week with an illegal block in the back.
However, the Commanders defense has been solid both against the run and pass with a few possible exceptions. Good, solid defense requires less preparation than anything. It's tackling and being physical.
The Bears defense has been anything but solid, as they've gone from giving up too many yards on the ground to too many yards allowed in the air, and also being unable to finish games.
Washington's constant throughout a four-game losing streak has been an inability to take away the football.
The Bears stress the HITS principle and one of the tenets of this is taking care of the ball. They aren't doing it.
Meanwhile, Washington has one takeaway. The law of averages say this starts to gravitate toward the center at some point.
One takeaway after five games just isn't normal, even for bad teams. Expect Bears turnovers to play a key role in this one.
The turnover situation is merely a matter of probability.
The other great probability in this one is a team with less practice succeeds.
Washington hasn't had a practice this week, just walk-throughs. Meanwhile, the Bears went and ruined it with one practice on Wednesday.
When both teams have been practicing throughout the season and it definitely hasn't worked out, as a 3-7 combined record suggests, the law of probability here says the one trying to do less during the week is then better off.
___
The Line: Washington by 1 1/2 (over/under 39).
Prediction: Commanders 23, Bears 20
BearDigest Record to Date: 4-1 straight up, 2-3 vs. the spread, 3-2 vs. the total.
BearDigest@BearsOnMaven