Bears vs Commanders: Everything we learned in Chicago's Week 8 loss

The first meeting between the top two quarterbacks taken in the 2024 NFL Draft, delivered, unfortunately with a gut-punching ending for the Chicago Bears (4-3). After struggling on offense for three quarters, the Bears found something that resembled a rhythm on offense and made it a game in the fourth.

Their own miracle comeback on offense in the fourth quarter was not to be outdone by an incredible Hail Mary pass from Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels to Noah Brown for the game-winning touchdown catch. Caleb Williams and the entire offense looked lost, and there was no sense of production until running back D'Andre Swift broke off a 56-yard touchdown run to keep them in the game.

After not knowing if Jayden Daniels would play due to a rib injury, it was the Bears offense that was missing for most of the game. In a tale known far too well in Bears history, despite their lack of offensive production, it was the defense that didn't let up an offensive touchdown until the final play of the game, keeping the game within striking distance through all four quarters.

The loss to the Commanders comes with plenty of questions for play-calling and coaching, on both the offensive and defensive sides. On their first trip inside the 5-yard line, the Bears were at the 1-yard line and called for a handoff to Doug Kramer Jr. but the exchange was fumbled and momentum was given right back to Washington. Thankfully, the defense would hold and the Bears would come down to take the lead 15-12 with less than 30 seconds to go, and then the 52-yard Hail Mary touchdown would put the nail in their coffin to end the game.

Final Score: Commanders 18 Bears 15

Keys to the game

Caleb Williams was missing for three quarters: After coming in with a three-game winning streak and fresh off their bye week, the Bears had plenty of momentum on their side, but the offense looked to be missing for most of the entire game. The offensive line would take a few hits, the main one coming when left tackle Braxton Jones was ruled out with a left knee injury. Jones was replaced by rookie Kiran Amegadjie, who was getting bulled by Washington's defense. Williams threw for a total of 36 yards in the first three quarters and then 95 in the fourth quarter. It was way too little and way too late for the rookie quarterback, who was on fire during the team's three-game winning streak.

Play-calling and coaching: Between the head-scratching decision that led to a fumble on the goal line and seemingly not figuring out a way to get the offense together until the fourth quarter, there's no reasonable explanation for what took place. The play calling was confusing throughout the game, including the fact that after a two-touchdown performance against Jacksonville, tight end Cole Kmet finished the game with just one catch on one target that went for 14 yards.

While it appeared the defense would not break for the entire game, they fell flat on their faces on the final play, which should call into question the coaching decisions. On the broadcast, Tony Romo urged Washington to take a short throw on their second-to-last play of the game and get in distance for a Hail Mary, and the Bears defense willingly allowed it to happen with ease. On the final play, head coach Matt Eberflus could be seen screaming and yelling with his defensive unit, while still holding all three of his teams timeouts. There is likely no logical explanation for what took place, but this game certainly falls partially on the coaching staff.

Injuries on the offensive line: Injuries are part of the game, but with an offensive line in question all season, the starting unit couldn't afford to lose their starters and that's exactly what happened. Jones was ruled out in the second quarter, Teven Jenkins was in and out of the lineup with an injury, and his replacement Bill Murray had to leave early as well.

There was a shuffle on the line due to those injuries and it made life tough Williams throughout the game. Jones' injury is the most concerning, as he's been one of the more consistent and productive members on the line. Holding down the left tackle spot has been key to help the growth of the quarterback, and if Jones is out, it will be interesting to see what the team will do in his place.

It was over when...

...Daniels was allowed to hold the ball for 12 seconds on the final play of the game and heaved the ball to the end zone, which was tipped by the Bears defense and caught by Noah Brown for the game-winning score. Daniels came into the game with questions about his health as he was playing through a rib injury, and while he broke down the defense several times, the Bears brought limited pressure on the final play, which allowed for the outstanding rookie the opportunity time to win the game.

3 duds of the game

***Caleb Williams: The quarterback turned it on in the fourth quarter, but there is no excusing Williams having 36 passing yards in the first three quarters. In four of his seven career games, Williams has failed to reach 200 or more passing yards, but that's not because of a lack of available weapons to him. Early in the game, the broadcast made a comment about nerves being an apparent issue with Williams returning to his hometown of Washington D.C. He's in the NFL as the No. 1 pick of this year's draft, and played like a quarterback who couldn't handle the spotlight for much of the game.

**Matt Eberflus: There will be plenty of coach-speak following this loss, whether it be from the goal-line fumble play or the final drive on defense. But those two plays don't fully define the game, which came with plenty of head-scratching moments where the team looked out of sync and not on the same page. Getting a three-game winning streak created a positive buzz around this team, but if there continues to be miscommunication, disconnect, and game-losing coaching decisions, there could be real conversations about job security by the end of the season.

*Kiran Amegadjie: It's not easy to make in-game changes on the offensive line, but Washington seemed to feast on Amegadjie from the moment he was inserted in place of Jones. It felt as if there were other players who could've filled that role at left tackle, but for a rookie who has yet to have any meaningful moments in the NFL as he's battled back from injury most of the year, Amegadjie was dismantled by the defense.

If Jones is out for a meaningful period of time, it feels like it would do more harm than good to let Amegadjie fill-in at left tackle. There should be some more changes coming on the offensive line if Jones is out, and Amegadjie needs more time to adjust to the professional level.

What's next

Back in the late afternoon spot next week, the Bears will head to the Southwest to take on the Arizona Cardinals (4-4) for their third consecutive game outside of Chicago. Similar to Daniels, the Bears defense will need to prepare for a dual-threat quarterback in Kyler Murray, and his explosive rookie weapon, wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

In Week 8, the Cardinals came back to defeat the Miami Dolphins on a last-second field goal, for their second straight win. With the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions both winning in Week 8, the Bears will have to bounce back against Arizona to keep themselves within striking distance of the NFC North.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears vs Commanders: Everything we learned in Chicago's Week 8 loss