There may be bigger games and higher peaks ahead for the 2024 Washington Commanders, but, right now, the Week 8 game against the Bears feels like the most critical point of the season to-date.
Washington is 5-2 and leading the NFC East. The Bears, while they are actually in last place in the NFC North, are 4-2; the two teams — Washington and Chicago — have had similar seasons, collecting wins against teams with sub-.500 records while losing to teams with winning records. This week feels like a game that should separate the contender from the pretender.
For Chicago, the toughest part of its regular season schedule is in the second half of the season, when they play every team in their division — each currently with 5 wins — twice each, along with games against the 4-3 Seahawks and a road trip to San Francisco.