Justin Fields threw four TD passes for the second straight game, completing 15 of 29 passes for 282 yards with no turnovers and a 125.3 passer rating while also rushing for 57 yards on 11 carries.
“DJ Moore’s going to be a big story,” said coach Matt Eberflus. “You saw his skill and talent level out there today. Just an amazing player, and Justin did a really good job of feeding him today. I thought that was really nice.”
The defense did its part, registering a season-high five sacks and two takeaways.
It was the type of performance that no doubt would have pleased Bears Hall of Fame middle linebacker Dick Butkus, who passed away before the game.
The Bears (1-4) dominated on both sides of the ball in the first half. Their offense scored on all five of its possessions—highlighted by three Fields touchdown passes. The defense yielded only 84 yards and didn’t allow a first down until the Bears had grabbed a 17-0 lead early in the second quarter.
The Commanders outscored the Bears 17-3 to begin the second half, narrowing the gap to 30-20 early in the fourth quarter. But Moore responded with another sensational play to ice the win, leaping high over cornerback Kendall Fuller to snare a Fields pass and racing 56 yards down the left sideline.
“I was right there; I saw it right there on the sideline,” Eberflus said. “He’s just an amazing athlete to be able to take that ball, I mean, just the way he catches and concentrates. The guy tried to step in front of it, and he just has great concentration. And that’s every day he’s like that, so he’s a true pro. He’s our hardest worker, which is really, really cool to say because he’s a really good player, and he’s a great example to model after.”
With the win, the Bears snapped a 14-game losing streak dating back to last year.
“The guys did a nice job of sticking together during our adversity,” Eberflus said, “and I told them the reason we could do that is because of the relationships we’ve built in the building. The guys have always been tight, always been determined, and super excited about that.”
The Bears took a 7-0 lead on the game’s opening possession as Fields threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Moore in the left corner of the end zone on third-and-14. The 6-play, 75-yard drive was highlighted by Fields’ 58-yard completion to Moore on third-and-9 from the Chicago 26.
The defense followed by forcing a three-and-out as Andrew Billings dropped running back Brian Robinson for a one-yard loss on third-and-one from the Commanders’ 34.
The Bears increased their lead to 10-0 on Cairo Santos’ 22-yard field goal. The kick came after Khalil Herbert’s 34-yard run to the Washington 13. Herbert faked out cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. with a dazzling cutback move on the play.
In the first quarter, the Bears held decisive advantages in total yards (199-12) and first downs (7-0).
The Moore show continued early in the second period as the veteran receiver leaped high over a defender in the left corner of the end zone to haul in an 11-yard TD pass from Fields on third-and-6, giving the Bears a 17-0 lead.