3 under the radar Commanders who must contribute in Week 8 vs. Bears

Beating the Chicago Bears won't just be about frustrating Caleb Williams for the Washington Commanders in Week 8. The long-touted quarterback duel between the top two picks in the 2024 NFL Draft could be a non-starter with the status of Jayden Daniels still up in the air.

Coping without the rookie sensation will require the Commanders to keep veteran backup Marcus Mariota clean. That won't happen if a familiar face is allowed to dominate off the edge.

Domination is something a banged-up Washington secondary needs to avoid against a loaded Bears wide receiver corps. It won't happen unless a brittle former first-round pick builds on a rare positive showing last week.

Under the radar Commanders who must contribute vs. Bears

Emmanuel Forbes Jr. needs to change the narrative

It's time for Emmanuel Forbes Jr. to stop being the poster child for every draft failure of the Ron Rivera era. Instead, the Commanders need the second-year cornerback to play like the prospect who became the king of the pick-six during his time at Mississippi State.

Shades of that player were evident when Forbes picked off Andy Dalton against the Carolina Panthers in Week 7.

The Commanders will need more of this kind of opportunism in coverage to stymie an increasingly useful Chicago passing attack. It's an offense built on the talents of wideouts D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, rookie Rome Odunze, and tight end Cole Kmet.

Commanders fans can be forgiven for shuddering at the mention of Moore, who eviscerated Washington's defense for eight catches, 230 receiving yards, and three touchdowns last season. Putting Forbes over the former first-round pick would be too risky, but head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. might have to trust the No. 16 overall pick a year ago to play man coverage over Allen or Odunze.

If the Commanders can matchup in single coverage elsewhere, they'll have the freedom to double Moore.

Andrew Wylie must get help vs. Montez Sweat

Doubling up could be the only strategy that helps Andrew Wylie handle former Commanders' defensive end Montez Sweat. The latter has gone from strength to strength since being traded midway through last season, using the opportunity for a career revival far better than fellow edge Chase Young.

Sweat is leading the Bears with 2.5 sacks, so he's on pace to surpass the six quarterback takedowns he managed in just nine contests last season. The Wylie of last season, who looked like a shell of the lineman who helped the Kansas City Chiefs win a Super Bowl, would not cope with this challenge. Fortunately, Washington's right tackle is growing in confidence on the watch of new offensive line coach Bobby Johnson.

Wylie has shown a nasty streak, like when he pancaked Kyle Van Noy against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6. It'll be difficult to deal with Sweat in the same way, but Johnson and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury can ensure the veteran has regular help from tight ends John Bates and rookie Ben Sinnott. Running backs could also chip to help out.

Sheldon Day should continue assisting rebuilding defensive tackle rotation

The arrival of Sheldon Day in the wake of Jonathan Allen's injury went under the radar, but this was a smart pickup by the Commanders. Day is an active and versatile defensive lineman who showed few signs of rust playing 20 snaps against the Carolina Panthers.

Those reps were valuable, but Day should get a few more this week. Extended action for the 30-year-old can have a two-fold benefit for Washington's defensive line.

First, Day and rookie Johnny Newton getting onto the field can ease the burden on Daron Payne to carry the load in Allen's absence. Big No. 94 was kept fresh against Carolina thanks to a deeper rotation being used more aggressively by Quinn and Whitt, according to ESPN's John Keim.

Making further use of Day is key to continuing the same trend. It will also be vital for keeping bodies around Williams and filling his escape lanes from the pocket.

Keeping a box around the No. 1 pick is how the Commanders can win this game, with or without Daniels.

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