The Bears and Commanders showed us exactly how fragile an NFL season can be
This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Mike Sykes.
Good morning, Winners! Happy Friday! Hope you’ve got a fantastic weekend ahead of you.
That Bears-Commanders game on Thursday night was so incredibly weird, wasn’t it? This game showed us just how fickle the NFL can be. Let’s talk about it.
On one end, Justin Fields looked like the next best thing since sliced bread. The dude could almost do no wrong on the field. The dude had four touchdowns, 282 passing yards and 57 rushing yards on just 11 carries.
For the second week in a row for Chicago, Fields looks like an absolute world-beater. Don’t look now, but Fields is somehow the NFL’s passing touchdown leader after looking like a deer in headlines for the entirety of September.
Clearly, something has clicked in October so far. He’s thrown eight touchdown passes in the span of five days. So what’s changed?
A couple of things:
— DJ Moore is absolutely balling out. He’s racked up 361 receiving yards and four touchdowns in the Bears’ last two games. He also had 230 against the Commanders. He’s turned into Fields’ safety net and it’s made the QB better.
— On the other hand, Chase Claypool is also gone. The Bears dismissed him and it’s opened up opportunities for everyone else. Fields has been much, much better for that, too.
One good wide receiver can change everything for a quarterback. A bad one can do that, too. We’ve seen both things unfold in Chicago in just a span of five weeks. Wild!
Luckily for Chicago, though, it looks like the Bears might be able to turn the season around.
On the other side…
Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Boy, the Commanders are going through it. After playing the Eagles to a close win on Sunday, it felt like the team had a lot to be encouraged about.
All of that encouragement is gone after one game.
Jack Del Rio’s defense stinks. Like, it’s historically bad. The team has a -51 point differential on the season now after the 40-20 loss to Chicago. Washington has also given up an average of 36 points per game over the last four, which is not great.
The Washington Commanders defense was supposed to be a strength of the team with a young QB. The last 4 games they are giving up an average of 36 points per game. That would be the most in NFL HISTORY for a full season.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) October 6, 2023
Things are bad, man. Very bad. Even Magic Johnson has had enough. It only took him five weeks to feel like he needed to call the team out.
Tonight the Commanders played with no intensity or fire. We didn’t compete in the first half and got down 27-3 heading into halftime. It was too big of a hole to climb out of and that is why we ended up losing 40-20.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) October 6, 2023
“Tonight, the Commanders played with no intensity or fire. We didn’t compete in the first half and got down 27-3 heading into halftime. It was too big of a hole to climb out of and that is why we ended up losing 40-20.”
This is one of the few times where Magic Johnson’s incredibly reductive sports analysis actually works perfectly. In a nutshell, that is what happened. It led to the Bears’ first win on the season in dominating fashion.
It sounds like someone is going to be held accountable soon for the Commanders. Does this mean a head coaching switch? Maybe Jack Del Rio is out? I have no idea. But a tweet like this is never a good thing.
Don’t lose hope, though, Commanders fans! I mean, uh, look at the Bears. They’re turning it around!
Too soon? Too soon.
A QUICK POLL
Which team would you rather be for the rest of the season? The Commanders or the Bears? Click here to give your opinion.
I’ll reveal the poll results at the top of next week.
The oldest in the room
Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Ready to feel old? No? Ok. I’ll give you a second.
— one second —
Alright, again, I ask, are you ready to feel old? Here we go. With Udonis Haslem’s retirement made official back in July, LeBron Raymone James is officially the oldest player on a roster in the NBA.
Well, maybe. It actually depends on if Andre Iguodala officially announces his retirement, too, which Mike Dunleavy Jr. thinks he will.
If and when that happens, James will officially be the oldest player currently rostered in the NBA. I took the liberty of looking it up for you. It’s right there.
Feels like just yesterday we watched him get drafted. Now, here we are. All old. James was asked about it, and he could only let out this hilarious scream. Perfect reaction if you ask me.
He’s still got it, though. Just ask Jaxson Hayes.
MEMBER BERRIES TIME!
It’s really been 21 years of LeBron James in the NBA, man. That’s pretty wild.
I remember where I was when he was drafted. I remember what I was doing when he made The Decision. I remember watching Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals and thinking “NO [expletive] WAY HE JUST DID THAT.”
This dude has given us so many moments, man. Do you have any favorite LBJ memories you’d like to share with the newsletter? Share them here in this form with us!
I’ll share a few favorites in the newsletter next week.
Quick hits: RIP Dick Butkus … Everything we know on WNBA expansion … and more
— The NFL world is mourning the loss of Dick Butkus, who died at 80 years old on Thursday. Robert Zeglinski has more.
— WNBA expansion is coming. Meghan Hall has more on the new team coming to the Bay Area.
— Christian D’Andrea has your best prop bets coming for Week 5 of NFL action.
— Kevin Durant has A&R credit on Drake’s new album. Why? I have no idea. But that’s kind of cool. Meghan has us covered.
— Joel Embiid is coming to Team USA. Here’s the projected roster for the 2024 Olympics in Paris from Bryan Kalbrosky.
—Ryan Fitzpatrick is a Magic Johnson fanboy. Who knew? Charles Curtis has more.
That’s all, folks! Have a fantastic weekend. Don’t forget to respond to our Bears-Commanders poll and our LeBron James Member Berries session!
I’ll have the results posted on Monday. Until then, folks. Take it easy. Peace.