Commanders Season Saved After Win at Bears?

The Washington Commanders picked up a big win Thursday night against the Chicago Bears. But did the victory keep their flailing season alive?

Jeremy Brener | Oct 14, 2022

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The Washington Commanders (2-4) are escaping the NFL basement this weekend after an ugly but effective 12-7 win over the Chicago Bears (2-4) on Thursday Night Football.

The win snapped a four-game losing streak dating back to Week 2, but the team still has a long way to go to return to relevancy.

Had one of the three goal-to-go situations Chicago faced resulted in a score, the Commanders would likely wake up Friday morning with a 1-5 record and simply on pace to play out the rest of the season. However, a gutsy win like Thursday's could be the spark of momentum Washington needs.

On the road. Against the odds. Battling injuries. The Commanders had a lot going against them playing the Bears, but the team still found a way to get it done.

The defense, which struggled mightily during the first month of the season, had its best game of the year thus far. After failing to generate a takeaway during the four-game losing streak, Washington's defense turned the ball over twice and came up with three key red zone stops.

When a unit plays like that, it can also pick a team up when it is down, especially when the offense struggled as much as it did. Carson Wentz, battling a bicep/shoulder strain before the game and a hand injury during, looked rough, but did enough to squeak out a win.

All in all, the Commanders faced death in the face last night and survived. But it's how they use this win in the future games to determine if their season is truly over or not.

Throughout the next month, the Commanders face arguably the toughest part of their schedule against three of the best teams in the NFC (Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles ... check out SI Tickets here). Their season could take a hit during those games ... or Washington can draw upon the strength it showed against Chicago and apply it against more challenging opponents. If it can pass those tests, Washington's season will be resurrected.

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Published Oct 14, 2022

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.