Bears might catch a HUGE break vs. Commanders in Week 8

Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, the current frontrunner for Rookie of the Year odds, left Week 7 with a rib injury and is listed as “week to week” as Sunday’s tilt against the Chicago Bears approaches.

#Commanders QB Jayden Daniels, dealing with a rib injury, has his status up in the air for the showdown against Caleb Williams and the #Bears. pic.twitter.com/eJMLcFzbel

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 22, 2024

Week-to-week usually means a player will miss some time, typically one to three games. The Commanders are already home underdogs against the Bears, and if Daniels can’t go, overcoming Chicago’s elite defense just got much harder.

Marcus Mariota, who replaced Daniels in Sunday’s 40-7 victory over the Carolina Panthers, would get the start. He last faced a Matt Eberflus defense in Week 16 of the 2022 season. Chicago was still amid its 3-14 rebuild year, and Mariota was with Atlanta then. He completed 13 of 20 pass attempts for 131 yards and one touchdown.

There’s still a chance we’ll see the Caleb Williams vs. Jayden Daniels showdown, but it’s not looking good. Either way, the Bears must come prepared and ready to fight for a win. A victory in Week 8 would move the Bears to 5-2 and keep them right in the middle of the barroom brawl that is the NFC North. It would also extend their winning streak to four games, something they’ve not done since 2018.