Chicago Bears vs Washington Redskins: Predictions and Odds (NFL Week 3)

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How to Watch

What: Chicago Bears at Washington Redskins
When: Monday Night Football, September 23 at 8:15 p.m. ET
Where: FedEx Field in Prince George’s County, Maryland
How (TV): ESPN

Latest point spread: Bears -4, Redskins +4

Despite their ineffective offense led by the slow-starting Mitchell Trubisky, the 1-1 Chicago Bears are the favorites going into this Monday Night Football NFC matchup against the winless Washington Redskins, who at 0-2 continue to have faith in their veteran quarterback Case Keenum despite having the talented rookie Dwayne Haskins waiting on the sidelines.

The Redskins have come close enough in both their wins to maintain hope for their 2019 season, while the Bears, who have been struggling to find the end zone, seem to have become overly dependent on their exceptional defense, so this matchup will be the perfect place for one (or both) of these teams to finally kick their sputtering football engines into gear.

Let’s take a quick look at how each of these two teams has situated themselves for Week 3.

The 1-1-0 Chicago Bears

There’s no such thing as luck in professional football, but the Chicago Bears came close to finding some last week against the Denver Broncos when, after time seemingly ran out at the end of the game, the referees granted them a single second on the clock, which was plenty of time for new placekicker Eddy Pineiro to boot the game-winner and win 16-14.

Bears’ third-year quarterback Mitchell Trubisky appears to be struggling, having posted an unimpressive 16-of-27 for 120 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions in Week 2, and a few talking heads have argued that he’s playing so poorly right now that he does not belong out there.

The only touchdown Chicago could muster against the Broncos in Week 2 was from running back David Montgomery, who ran 18 times total for 62 yards, averaging 3.4 yards per carry, and for a team that suffered from a horrible case of field goal double-doink last season, they sure are depending on a whole lot of three-pointers to keep them in their 2019 games.

The 0-2-0 Washington Redskins

The offense for the Washington Redskins seemed to be working okay in Week 2, especially considering they were playing the Dallas Cowboys, with Case Keenum throwing two touchdown passes to his receivers – Terry McLaurin and Paul Richardson – while running back Adrian Peterson ran for a touchdown.

But the Redskins’ offense struggled to keep pace with the Dallas Cowboys, who put up 31 points against Washington’s struggling defense, and the truth is, except for Peterson’s one touchdown, he got shut down, held to just 10 carries for 25 yards (averaging 2.5 per carry), with Redskins’ slot receiver Steven Sims Jr. earning a better yards per run average (5.3) after running the ball 3 times for 16 yards.

The defense did sack and intercept the Cowboys once, but it never felt like they could get control of the game after playing catch up the whole time, and without a run game established in the first half, their game plan relied heavily on the pass and got easier to predict and shut down.

Read more on the Washington Redskins postseason odds.

What’s at Stake?

These two teams have met 50 total times (including 7 postseason games), with Washington winning 26 of those games and Chicago winning 23 games.

It sounds strange to say, but the Redskins have won the last seven games against the Bears, but the last one they played was in 2016 when Washington devastated Chicago by a score of 41-21.

If the Bears win this matchup, they’ll be 2-1-0 and at least stay close to Aaron Rodgers’ Green Bay Packers, who are the only team in the NFC North to go into Week 3 undefeated.

But if the Redskins come out on top, then they’ll move to 1-2-0 and begin to separate themselves from the other NFC East basement dweller, the New York Giants, who also went into Week 3 with an 0-2 record.

Questions to Answer

Who’s favored to win this Week 3 Bears-Redskins matchup?

Which team has a better offense? Defense? Special teams?

Which team’s quarterback is more likely to lead his team to victory?

We’re going to briefly compare the Bears and the Redskins next and attempt to answer those questions and more.

Offensive Stats Comparison

Chicago Bears overall offense

• Ranked 2^nd overall in 2018
• Ranked 13^th overall in 2019

Passing attack

The Chicago Bears have the league’s 28^th passing attack right now after averaging 164.0 yards through the air per game.

Trubisky is ranked the 28^th best quarterback after two games, having thrown for 348 total yards and no touchdowns with one interception.

The most productive receiver on the Bears right now is Allen Robinson, who has 11 catches for 143 yards and no touchdowns, averaging 13.0 yards per catch.

Rushing attack

Currently, the Bears have the 18^th best rushing attack in the NFL, averaging 99.5 yards per game.

Chicago has been using running back David Montgomery, tied for 36^th best production in the league after running 24 times for 80 yards, averaging 3.3 yards per carry.

Dual-threat back Tarik Cohen has also been effective in his second year, with 14 total touches for 74 yards and no touchdowns, averaging 5.3 yards per touch.

Chicago offensive injuries  

Listed as questionable for Week 3: tight end Trey Burton (groin) and guard Kyle Long (hip)

Injury notes: offensive tackles Blake Blackmar (undisclosed) and T.J. Clemmings (quadriceps) have been placed on injured reserve.

Washington Redskins overall offense

• Ranked 13^th overall in 2018
• Ranked 15^th overall in 2019

Passing attack

After two games, the Washington Redskins have a 10^th ranked passing offense, averaging 289.0 yards through the air per game.

Quarterback Case Keenum is 12^th among his peers after completing 56-of-81 for 601 yards and 5 touchdowns with no interceptions.

The Redskins’ best receiver right now is rookie Terry McLaurin, who has caught 10 balls for 187 yards and 2 touchdowns, the longest a 69-yard touchdown run in his first NFL game.

Rushing attack

Washington has a 30^th ranked rushing offense, averaging just 37.5 yards per game.

Their main running back, Adrian Peterson, currently ranks T-71^st in the league, with 10 carries for 25.0 yards and 1 touchdown in 2019, averaging just 2.5 yards per carry.

Second running back, Chris Thompson, only has 5 carries for 13 yards and no touchdowns.

Washington offensive injuries

Listed as questionable for Week 3: offensive tackle Morgan Moses (knee) and tight end Jordan Reed (concussion)

Injury notes: offensive tackle Trent Williams (head) and quarterback Colt McCoy (lower leg) are listed as OUT, while center Casey Dunn (undisclosed), tight end Matt Flanagan (undisclosed), running back Derrius Guice (knee – Meniscus), running back Shaun Wilson (ankle) and quarterback Josh Woodrum (pectoral) have all been placed on injured reserve.

Offensive advantage

The Chicago Bears could potentially have a better overall offense at some point, but the way things are going right now the Washington Redskins have the offensive advantage in the passing game while the Bears have the advantage on the ground, so it’s a wash.

Defensive Stats Comparison

Chicago Bears overall defense

• Ranked 3^rd overall in 2018
• Ranked 4^th overall in 2019

Pass coverage

The Bears’ pass coverage is ranked 12^th in 2019, keeping opponents to 224 total yards per game.

Chicago has 1 total interception and 7 sacks (tied for 7^th most in the league) after two games.

Run coverage

The Bears are tied for 6^th best against the run, allowing opponents to average just 68.5 yards on the ground per game.

After two weeks of play, Chicago’s defense has allowed opponents to score 24 total points, the third least of all NFL teams.

Bears defensive players to watch

The best tacklers on the Bears so far this season are inside linebackers Roquan Smith (18 total tackles) and Danny Trevathan (17).

As far as quarterback hunting goes, outside linebacker Leonard Floyd has 2.0 sacks already with 6 tackles.

Keep your eyes on the Bears’ secondary where Kyle Fuller roams, the cornerback with an interception, 4 passes defended and 12 tackles so far this season.

Bears defensive injuries

Listed as questionable for Week 3: defensive tackle Eddie Goldman (oblique) and safety Eddie Jackson (shoulder)

Injury notes: defensive end Bilal Nichols (hand) is listed as doubtful while safety Joshua Simmons (undisclosed) has been placed on injured reserve.

Washington Redskins overall defense

• Ranked 17^th overall in 2018
• Ranked 30^th overall in 2019

Pass coverage

The Redskins are ranked 25^th against the pass after allowing opponents to average 287.0 yards through the air per game.

Washington has a total of 1 interception and 2 sacks after two games.

Run coverage

The Redskins are ranked second-last in the league against the run, with opponents grinding out 168.0 yards on the ground per game.

Washington’s defense has allowed opponents to score a total of 63 points, tied for the second-most in the NFL this season.

Redskins defensive players to watch

Washington strong safety Landon Collins is tied for 12^th most takedowns in the league, with 19 tackles to his name so far in 2019.

The Redskins’ defense has 2 teams sacks so far, one by outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan and the other by linebacker Cassanova McKinzy, so expect them to try to get after Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.

Trubisky had better keep his other eye on Redskins’ strong safety Montae Nicholson, who already has an interception, 3 passes defended and 14 tackles after two games.

Redskins defensive injuries

Listed as questionable for Week 3: defensive end Jonathan Allen (knee – MCL), cornerback Quinton Dunbar (knee), linebacker Cassanova McKinzy (hip) and cornerback Fabian Moreau (ankle)

Injury notes: linebacker Jordan Brailford (undisclosed), defensive tackle Caleb Brantley (ankle), linebacker Reuben Foster (knee – ACL), linebacker Myles Humphrey (knee), cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (ankle) and cornerback Greg Stroman (undisclosed) have all been placed on injured reserve.

Defensive advantage

The Chicago Bears have an excellent defense no matter whom they play and they definitely have the defensive advantage in this one.

Special Teams Stats Comparison

Punters

Chicago’s punter, Pat O’Donnell, has been with the Bears since the 2014 season, and this year he has punted 13 times for a net average of 45.5 yards per punt, 5^th best in the NFL.

Washington’s punter, Tress Way, is in his sixth NFL season, all with the Redskins, and he has punted 9 times so far this season for a net average of 46.7 yards per punt, which is the 2^nd best in the league.

Placekickers

Chicago’s placekicker, Eddie Pineiro, was acquired during the offseason through a trade with the Oakland Raiders.

Pineiro has made 4-of-4 field goals this year and he missed zero extra point attempts (1/1).

Washington’s placekicker, Dustin Hopkins, is in his sixth NFL season, fifth with the Redskins.

Hopkins has made 2-of-2 field goals this year and has missed zero extra point attempts (6/6).

Punt Returners

Chicago’s punt returner, running back Tarik Cohen, is ranked 17^th in the league in return average.

Cohen has returned 5 punts for 43 yards, averaging 8.6 yards per return, his longest for 14 yards.

Washington’s punt returner is slot receiver Trey Quinn, who is currently ranked 10^th in average punt return yardage.

Quinn has returned 2 punts for 20 yards this season, averaging 19.0 yards per return, his longest for 11 yards.

Special Teams Advantage

Since the Chicago Bears’ placekicker is so new and their field goal mojo is historically questionable, the special team’s advantage for this matchup goes to the Washington Redskins.

Final Game Analysis

Why will the Bears win this game?

The Chicago Bears will win this game because their defense will shut down Washington’s tepid run offense (so far) the same way the Dallas Cowboys did in Week 2, by clogging the gaps and forcing them to be too predictable with their pass game.

It’s only a matter of time before the Bears’ offense starts clicking again, so until that happens, they are lucky enough to have one of the best defenses in the league to keep opponents off the field.

So far, the 1-1 Chicago Bears have looked a bit confused on offense, like they needed a bit more time to get things completely together, but after they easily take care of business against this weaker Redskins team on Monday Night Football, they should start seeing things a bit more clearly and playing a lot more effectively.

Why will the Redskins win this game?

Currently, the Washington Redskins have a better passing game than the Bears, so if head coach Jay Gruden and offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell can figure out how to game plan around that strength, the Skins could actually take Chicago by surprise.

Especially given the fact that they are playing this one at home, so the crowd noise could definitely play a factor when it comes to Trubisky being able to wrangle his troops.

The Redskins might be the underdogs, but if their run game can suddenly perk up (Peterson has done it before) and if their defense can put tremendous pressure on Trubisky, who is already under his own pressure to play better, then this game could go Washington’s way in a hurry.

This Game Goes To 

The Chicago Bears by two touchdowns, their offense finally wakes up and their defense puts the Redskins to sleep.

John Breech of CBS Sports takes the under and predicts the score as Bears 20, Redskins 13.

My prediction is – take the under, final score Bears 24, Redskins 10.