The opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of the team.
The Washington Commanders are returning to Northwest Stadium for a primetime battle with the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. Here are three keys to securing a victory.
1. No. 1 rushing offense vs. 31st rushing defense.
The Commanders are running the ball better than any team in the NFL so far this season. They have a diverse group of running backs, a strong blocking scheme and a quarterback whose legs are just as much of a weapon as his arm.
The Bears, meanwhile, have struggled mightily against the run. Although they have only given up four rushing touchdowns all year, they rank 31st in allowed per game and last in yards per rush. Prior to their bye week, they gave up 240 rushing yards against the Las Vegas Raiders with Ashton Jeanty accounting for 138 yards on 21 carries.
The Commanders have several options for how to attack the Bears on the ground, from Chris Rodriguez Jr. to Jayden Daniels and Deebo Samuel. However, seventh-round pick Jacory Croskey-Merritt has been their most valuable piece. He leads all running backs with at least 40 carries in rushing yards per attempt and has more rushes resulting in first downs than the next four Commanders rushers combined.
The Bears have had two weeks to prepare for the Commanders, and they will certainly pull out some new tricks to try and slow up their ground game. But if the Commanders can stick with it, there should be some open lanes for Croskey-Merritt and the rest of Washington’s running backs to exploit.