Commanders Defense Becomes Unsung Hero in Bears Win

The Washington Commanders played well defensively in their Week 8 win against the Chicago Bears.

Jeremy Brener | Oct 28, 2024

Oct 27, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) is sacked by Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu (4) during the second quarter at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

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Washington Commanders

The Washington Commanders are excited about Jayden Daniels' Hail Mary to win 18-15 against the Chicago Bears in Week 8, but the defense should also be given some flowers.

The Commanders held the Bears scoreless for almost three quarters and even though they allowed a late touchdown to backup running back Roschon Johnson, the defense was a big reason behind the win.

The defense had a plan to contain Caleb Williams and the offense, and it was executed well.

"We knew to keep it a phone booth for him, make him scramble around," Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu said of Williams. "He likes to lose ground a lot, make him get out the pocket and throw it out. So we kind of got to our game plan and executed what we can. So, we did our thing, but they still scored at the end and that's not acceptable for us on defense. So we just gotta keep stacking them up."

The defense has steadily been improving all season long, and that's exactly what Bobby Wagner has been preaching.

“We [have] just been trying to get better every game," Wagner said postgame. "I feel like we keep growing and still obviously, we got a couple plays, we want to get back, but whenever you hold a good team like that to whatever, 12 points or however many points they had, that's a good day.”

The Commanders know how crucial their defense has been, and they will continue to need them to step up in the coming weeks as the NFC East division race gets tighter.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.

More Washington Commanders News

• Reactions to Commanders' Last-Second Win over Bears Pouring In

• WATCH: Jayden Daniels Hail Mary Lifts Commanders vs. Bears

• Commanders Beat Bears on Jayden Daniels Hail Mary

• Commanders WR Noah Brown Reflects on Hail Mary That Beat the Bears

Published Oct 28, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.