WASHINGTON — Sunday’s contest between the Bears and Commanders ranks high among my easiest NFL games to cover. The storylines have written themselves leading into this game, considering the connections between two upstart teams.

The biggest, of course, is the possible matchup of Nos. 1 and 2 overall NFL draft picks. Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels have been awesome to start their rookie seasons, setting up a chance to see to excellent quarterbacks square off. Key word in the last sentence: chance. That’s all we’ve got, and it’s an unlikely one, to see 1 vs. 2. Daniels’ ribs injury has kept the story going all week, leaving uncertainty around whether CBS will get what it wanted when moving this game into a prime afternoon slot.

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Then you’ve got the Montez Sweat factor, and how he’ll play against the team that traded him. Oh, and there’s a strong connection between Williams and Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. And the Bears issues on the road, even when they’re favorites away from home. Oh, and then Jaylon Johnson dropped a wonderful quote on Friday afternoon about whoopin’ the Commanders rear ends no matter who plays at quarterback.

That’s why it was easy as heck to write this story about five burning questions heading into this pivotal game between two upstart teams. Probably could’ve written 10. Let’s see which ones made the cut:

1. Can banged-up Bears secondary stop “Scary Terry”?

Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin might be quarterback proof. He has produced year after year despite inconsistency from guys throwing him the football, finding ways to get open and make receptions even with lackluster passers.

He’s working with a good one now, and the rapport with Jayden Daniels has been clear in the early going. He has 35 receptions for 454 yards and four touchdowns already this season, largely working with Daniels.

He didn’t stop when Marcus Mariota entered last week, totaling six receptions for 98 yards despite the quarterback change.

“His routes are precise,” defensive coordinator Eric Washington said. “He understands coverage variation and the alignment of the corner, what he can do to try to take advantage of what you’re doing defensively. So there’s a lot of knowledge within that. And he’s got the hands and the run-after-catch element to make a reception and turn a short pass into a long gain if you’re not careful.

“So it’s not just the corner that’s matching up against him. We’ve got to make sure defensively, whether we have a safety over the top or we have pursuit coming from under coverage, that we’re doing everything we can to contain him.”

Washington’s right that’s a whole-defense effort, but we could see Jaylon Johnson matched up with him quite often, possibly in a shadow situation. The secondary overall must be on point despite Jaquan Brisker and Kyler Gordon ruled out. They’ve gotten quality play from reserves Elijah Hicks and Josh Blackwell, and they’ll need that again against the Washington passing threats. Kevin Byard mostly plays deep, and will play an important role preventing big plays.

The McLaurin-Johnson matchup might be the game’s best when they lock horns on Sunday afternoon, and there’s respect flowing both ways between these elite talents.

“He’s smooth, explosive, with big-play making ability,” Johnson said. “I have been a big fan of his game for a long time, going back to his days at Ohio State. He has been playing the game at a high level and he’ll continue to do that.”

2. Can Bears overcome road woes?

The Bears have struggled mightily playing on the road under Matt Eberflus. That’s not all on the head coach. There has been a talent deficiency here for most of his tenure, but a 3-15 record in true road games since 2022 is notable (and not in a good way).

This is a new and better team in 2024, but both losses this season have come away from home. We’re not letting the London game sway things, because that was a home game in every sense save the town where it was played.

One of those wins came last year at Washington, when DJ Moore blew up to the tune of 230 yards and three touchdowns. Overall, though, this team must prove capable of dealing well with hostile environments. Washington fans are fired up over the long-suffering team’s resurgence, so the crowd will be into it no matter who starts at quarterback.

This could be a statement game for the Bears, eliminating caveats to their record by beating a division-leading club on the road.   

3. How will Caleb Williams deal with off-field storylines?

The Bears quarterback has a big Sunday ahead. The No. 1 overall NFL draft pick will play a homecoming game of sorts, after spending formative years in Maryland and playing his high school football in Washington D.C. He’s out of his ticket allotment and has dozens more paying their own freight to watch their favorite son, including the Gonzaga College High football team, which he was part of as a kid.

There’s also the fact that Kliff Kingsbury’s on the other sideline, in his first year as Washington offensive coordinator following a year helping mentor Williams as USC’s senior offensive assistant.

Oh, and there’s the whole No. 1 vs No. 2 draft pick matchup, with Williams and Jayden Daniels possibly squaring off. “Possibly” is a key word there, considering Daniels is dealing with a rib injury that might keep him out of this contest. Seeing Williams and Daniels leading two legacy teams to solid starts was the reason CBS flexed this game into the late afternoon window, officially turning the spotlight on.

How Williams handles everything we just mentioned will be important in the overall outcome. If he can tune all that out and let his immense talent shine, the Bears can accomplish almost anything. When he’s on target and the defense is stout like it always is, the Bears can compete with anyone.

Williams has been clear that winning is prioritized above all else, and the competitor in him won’t let everything swirling around this game distract him.

“My job is to go win games on Thursdays, Sundays and Mondays,” Williams said. “That’s it.”

4. Will Bears run defense slow Brian Robinson?

Jayden Daniels’ playing status and its impact on Sunday’s game has been a driving force during the buildup to this game. That’s logical, given his position and status.

Assuming his participation will determine the of course of this game is a slight to a run game that has been awesome this season. It also attacks an area of relative weakness on the Chicago defense, which has been susceptible to explosive runs especially early in this game.

The Commanders have done that well, in addition to a physicality that can wear an opponent down. Brian Robinson leads that charge, with 85 carries for 392 yards and six touchdowns already this season. He’s averaging 4.7 yards per carry, with 3.73 yards per carry after contact. That’s, you know, a lot. The 6-foot-1, 228-pound bruiser takes a toll on the opposition that opens things up late and can help close out a game if Washington has a lead.

It’s a perfect balance to agile, running quarterbacks (yes, that includes backup Marcus Mariota) who operate well scrambling and on designed runs. The Commanders also feature Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols, who, with Robinson, are combining to average more than five yards per carry.

The Bears haven’t been bad against the run, but that effort hasn’t been as impactful as other statistical categories. They’re working to make it that way, though.

“There’s a lot of determination in that room,” Washington said, “to make sure that we move that particular part of our defense into the top five the way we are with some of the others.”

If they’re to achieve that goal, stopping a runner like Robinson would be a major step in the right direction. Expect Robinson to have a high-volume day no matter who starts at quarterback, making this matchup as important to the overall outcome as anything.

5. How will Montez Sweat play vs. former team?

Montez Sweat did an excellent job downplaying the importance of facing the team that traded him. He said Sunday’s game wasn’t circled on the calendar, that his motivation to do damage wasn’t much higher than normal.

Whether you believe that or not is up to you. You should believe Sweat when he says he’s happy in Chicago, with a great environment and a big paycheck. The trade sending him to the Bears was a win for both teams and the player, but there were decisions made to pay others and not his freight which can be used as motivation. The best athletes find fuel in just about anything these days. Would Sweat be happier having a monster game in front of a fan base that likes him and wishes he were still there? Certainly. The Bears hope that turns into a few game-changing plays that can tilt this contest in their favor.