The Chicago Bears will wrap up Week 6 as they head on the road to face the Washington Commanders. This NFC matchup could have future tiebreaker consequences as both teams look to gain ground in their respective divisions.
While the Bears prepared for their Monday night showdown, some favorable developments occurred within the NFC North. On Sunday Night Football, the Kansas City Chiefs took down the Detroit Lions 30–17, dropping Detroit’s record to 4–2 on the season.
That result makes Chicago’s upcoming contest even more critical, as a victory would pull the Bears to within a single game of Detroit in the divisional standings.
Bears Can Tighten NFC North Race with Win Over Commanders
The Bears came off a Week 5 bye, giving them a chance to regroup and refocus. During that stretch, they chose to bench Braxton Jones in favor of Theo Benedet. Additionally, Kyler Gordon is expected to make his 2025 season debut, while Washington will be without receivers Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown.
Still, Chicago faces a major challenge, as Jayden Daniels remains one of the league’s top young quarterbacks. When these teams met last season, Washington earned an 18–15 victory on a last-second Hail Mary from Daniels to Brown.
Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson deflected the pass that ended up being caught for the winning score and later admitted the loss “still hurts.” That moment continues to serve as extra motivation for Chicago heading into this game.
For the Bears, any time a division rival slips up, it’s a good day. Since Detroit has already beaten them once this season, Chicago remains in pursuit. In that loss to Kansas City, Lions safety Brian Branch shoved Chiefs wideout JuJu Smith-Schuster in the face, an act that will reportedly lead to a fine and possibly more discipline, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
That incident only worsens matters for Detroit, whose secondary is already short-handed with injuries to D.J. Reed and Terrion Arnold.
While the Lions work to address those problems, the Bears are locked in on their own task. They need to handle business on the field, starting Monday night against Washington. Earning a third straight win would not only lift the team’s confidence but also close the gap on a key division opponent.
