Chicago Bears vs. Washington Commanders: Live updates from Northwest Stadium in Maryland

LANDOVER, Md. – The Chicago Bears return to action Sunday with a matchup against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium in Maryland.

Everybody has had this game circled since the schedule came out in May. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams went first overall in April’s NFL draft. Washington’s Jayden Daniels went second overall. Daniels entered the day officially listed as questionable due to a rib injury. CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson reported Sunday morning that Commanders coach Dan Quinn told her Daniels likely will play in the game, barring a pregame setbacks.

Shaw Local Bears beat writer Sean Hammond will be reporting live from Maryland. Follow Hammond on X at @sean_hammond, on Instagram at @bears_reporter and on Threads at @bears_reporter. Shaw Local enterprise reporter Michal Dwojak will be reporting from Chicago. Follow Dwojak @mdwojak94 on X and also on Threads. Shaw Local Bears analyst Marc Silverman will provide his thoughts on X at @WaddleandSilvy.

Below is everything Bears fans need to know ahead of the game. Stay here all game long for live updates too.

Commanders win on Hail Mary

Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels threw a 52-yard Hail Mary touchdown to win the game as the clock ran out. Daniels threw the football from the opposite 35-yard line. Receiver Noah Brown was on the receiving end. The ball bounced off the hands of one defender in the end zone and landed in Brown’s waiting arms.

The Commanders won, 18-15, and moved to 6-2. The Bears dropped to 4-3 in heartbreaking fashion, moments after taking their first lead of the afternoon.

Bears grab their first lead on Johnson’s touchdown

After the wild fumble stopped the Bears short at the 1-yard line, the Bears defense came up with a three-and-out when it needed it most. The Commanders were forced to punt back to Chicago. The Bears took over with 4:21 remaining in the game.

The Bears offense drove 62 yards on 10 plays and running back Roschon Johnson punched in a 1-yard touchdown run. Moments earlier, facing a fourth down, Bears receiver Keenan Allen drew a defensive pass interference call to keep the drive alive.

The Bears took their first lead, 15-12, with 25 seconds remaining in the game.

Williams, Kramer fumble the exchange

On the 1-yard line, the Bears entered their jumbo package with lineman Doug Kramer at fullback. Caleb Williams handed the ball to Kramer, but Kramer never had control of the football. It bounced off his chest and flew over to the Commanders. Washington recovered the fumble at the 1-yard line.

It was a massive swing with Washington up by five points and just over six minutes remaining in the game.

Commanders miss field goal try

The Bears appeared to block a 51-yard field goal try from Washington kicker Austin Seibert. The missed field goal try gave the Bears the football at their own 33-yard line with just over 14 minutes remaining in the game.

Upon further inspection, however, the Bears were not credited with a block. The kick appeared to simply be off the mark.

Swift runs for 56-yard touchdown

With the Bears offense struggling mightily, running back D’Andre Swift provided a spark. Swift broke free for a 56-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter. For an offense that barely had eclipsed 100 total yards up to that point, it was a huge boost just as things were about to get desperate.

Rookie left tackle Kiran Amegadjie had a huge block along the way. With Caleb Williams struggling – he has just four completions in the game – a boost from the run game is just what the Bears needed.

The Commanders still lead, 12-7, but the Bears are finally on the board.

Sweat sacks Daniels to force field goal

On third-and-2 at the Bears’ 22-yard line, Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels faked a handoff and tried to gain the edge running out to his right. He simply couldn’t find any way past Bears defensive end Montez Sweat. Sweat chased down Daniels for a sack and a seven-yard loss.

It forced Washington to kick yet another field goal. Kicker Austin Seibert made a 47-yard kick. The Commanders extended their lead, 12-0, with 5:48 remaining in the third quarter.

Williams sacked before halftime

The Bears were driving well into Commanders territory just before halftime when Caleb Williams took a 15-yard loss on a sack that knocked his team out of field goal range. The Bears had just lost starting left tackle Braxton Jones to a knee injury in the second quarter. Rookie third-round draft pick Kiran Amegadjie entered the game in place of Jones at left tackle.

Tory Taylor punted back to Washington and pinned the Commanders at their own 8-yard line with just under a minute remaining in the half.

Bears fail to convert on fourth down; Washington adds another field goal

Facing a fourth-and-inches from their own 40-yard line, the Bears elected to keep the offense on the field. They sent out a big personnel unit that included multiple tight ends. But the Bears elected not to run the ball and instead Caleb Williams tossed a quick pass out to DJ Moore on the edge. Moore couldn’t beat the defender in front of him and was tackled short.

On the ensuing Washington drive, the Commanders nearly found the end zone on a pass from Jayden Daniels to tight end Zach Ertz. Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson came in at the last moment to break up the pass. The Commanders challenged the call, but the call on the field stood.

So Washington’s Austin Seibert made his third chip-shot field goal. The Commanders lead, 9-0, with 5:24 remaining in the second quarter.

Commanders add another field goal, lead 6-0

The Bears were once again forced to punt on their second offensive possession of the afternoon. Caleb Williams completed only one of his first five pass attempts in the game.

On the following possession, the Bears twice gave up big plays on third down. With the Commanders pinned deep in their own end, quarterback Jayden Daniels juked out Bears linebacker TJ Edwards with a little shimmy and picked up a first down.

Later, facing a third-and-9 from his own 21-yard line, Daniels lofted a perfect deep ball for top receiver Terry McLaurin, who had a step on cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. It flipped the field and gave the Commanders another shot in the red zone.

For the second time, though, the Bears defended the red zone well. Washington was forced into another field goal. Kicker Austin Seibert made a 30-yard try. The Commanders lead, 6-0, with 1:04 to go in the first quarter.

Commanders score field goal on their 1st possession

The Commanders won the coin toss and elected to defer until the second half. Caleb Williams and the Bears received the opening kickoff but couldn’t do anything with it. The Bears failed to pick up a first down and were forced to punt.

After a booming punt from Bears punter Tory Taylor, Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels led his offense down field in a flash. The Commanders moved 56 yards in nine plays, but they couldn’t finish off the drive in the red zone. Bears defensive end Montez Sweat pressured Daniels into an incompletion on third down.

Kicker Austin Seibert made a 27-yard field goal. Washington leads, 3-0, with 8:51 remaining in the first quarter.

Update: Jayden Daniels is active and expected to play

Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels is active and expected to play on Sunday. Daniels went through his full pregame warm-up routine. When the team announced its inactive players Sunday, Daniels was not among them. He will dress for this contest and likely start.

The Bears announced six inactive players on Sunday. The biggest surprise was running back Khalil Herbert. Herbert will not dress for the game. The Bears have three active running backs available Sunday: D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson and Travis Homer. Herbert has only eight rushing attempts so far this season. He led the NFL in yards per carry two years ago.

Additionally, cornerback Kyler Gordon, defensive end Dominique Robinson, safety Jaquan Brisker, guard Nate Davis and defensive tackle Zacch Pickens were listed as inactive. They will not play in Sunday’s game. Brisker is out with a concussion, while Gordon is out with a hamstring injury. The rest appear to be healthy scratches.

Will Jayden Daniels play?

The big question all week has been whether Daniels will square off with Williams in this one. Daniels suffered a rib injury last week in a win over the Carolina Panthers. Backup Marcus Mariota played most of the Panthers game in place of Daniels. Mariota threw for more than 200 yards and two touchdowns in that contest.

Daniels didn’t practice Wednesday or Thursday, but he did return in a limited fashion on Friday. The team officially listed him as “questionable” to play Sunday. Daniels told members of the media in Washington that he felt like he was in a good place, but that the final decision wouldn’t be up to him.

Daniels won the Heisman Trophy last year at LSU. He’s a true dual-threat quarterback who is currently second among NFL quarterbacks in rushing yards entering the weekend (behind only Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson). The Commanders have had a quick turnaround since drafting Daniels. They currently sit at 5-2 after winning only four games a year ago.

What will the Bears look like after the bye week?

The Bears are coming off their bye week following a Week 6 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. Williams and the Bears are winners of three consecutive games, looking to make it four. The Bears, led by head coach Matt Eberflus, enter this contest with a 4-2 record.

The offense is rolling right now, but the Commanders will be a tougher test than their previous three opponents. Here are the top storylines to watch ahead of this week’s game.

Bears tight end Cole Kmet believes he knows why the Bears offense is playing so well.

Silvy sees this matchup between Williams and Daniels as a potential first step in a new NFC rivalry. Could this be the beginning of a Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird type of rivalry? Johnson is part owner of the Commanders new ownership group led by Josh Harris.

For your pregame listening needs, head over to the Shaw Local Bears Insider podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

Bears injury updates

At long last, the Bears parted ways with receiver Velus Jones Jr. on Friday. Jones, a 2022 third-round draft pick, hadn’t appeared in a game since Week 1. The Bears had several players ready to return from injured reserve, and they needed to make room on the 53-man roster.

Unfortunately, that meant the end for Jones’ time with the Bears. Here’s more on Jones’ tenure with the Bears and what it means now that it’s over.

The Bears activated defensive end Jacob Martin and running back Travis Homer from injured reserve. Martin has yet to play in a game this season due to a toe injury. Homer missed a month with a finger injury. Additionally, the Bears called up defensive back Tarvarius Moore from the practice squad.

The Bears will be without safety Jaquan Brisker (concussion) and cornerback Kyler Gordon (hamstring) on Sunday.

What else is did I miss this week?

Here’s what else was happening at Halas Hall this week.

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[ Keenan Allen spent 5 weeks lurking in the shadows – now he’s ready to pounce ]

[ Chicago Bears TE Cole Kmet says his special teams award probably irked some NFL long snappers ]

[ Is Nate Davis a trade candidate? Here’s what Bears coach Matt Eberflus said Monday after bye week ]