Bears vs. Commanders final score, results: Chicago snaps 14-game losing streak behind D.J. Moore's career night

Dan Treacy

•
Bears vs. Commanders final score, results: Chicago snaps 14-game losing streak behind D.J. Moore's career night image

On a night that began with the news of Dick Butkus' death, the Bears gave one of their franchise legends a performance to be proud of. 

Chicago went into FedEx Field on a 14-game losing streak and left with a win, one that might not have been possible without a heroic performance from their newly-acquired receiver.

D.J. Moore erupted for 230 yards and three touchdowns in a 40-20 victory, torching the Commanders' secondary in the first half and later icing the game with a 56-yard score in the fourth quarter. Moore was the recipient of 82 percent of Justin Fields' passing yardage, playing the role the Bears expected when they landed him from the Panthers for the No. 1 overall pick. 

MORE: Ryan Poles hints Bears could release Chase Claypool

Chicago led 27-3 at halftime, but in typical Bears fashion, that didn't mean the game was over. The Commanders stormed back to trim the deficit to 10, and they had a chance to cut the deficit as low as three in the fourth quarter. The Bears' defense bent but didn't break, getting a key stop when Joey Slye missed a late field goal and comfortably closing out the win.

Sam Howell passed the eye test despite the Commanders' loss, throwing for 388 yards and two touchdowns. He certainly wasn't perfect, taking five more sacks and throwing a costly interception late in the first half, but Howell looked comfortable and confident while leading a comeback that fell short.

The Bears' win leaves the Panthers as the NFL's only winless team, while Washington has dropped from 2-0 to 2-3 in 12 short days and will look to bounce back against Atlanta in Week 6.

MORE: NFL coaching hot seat rankings entering Week 5

The Sporting News tracked live scoring updates and highlights from Thursday night's game between the Bears and Commanders. Check out all of the key moments you might have missed.

Bears vs. Commanders score

   1   2   3   4   F 
Bears 10 17 0 13 40
Commanders 0 3 11 6 20

Bears vs. Commanders results, highlights from 'Thursday Night Football'

(All times Eastern)

Final: Bears, Commanders 20

11:23 p.m. — This one is OVER. The Bears romp to a 40-20 win behind D.J. Moore's career night, and their 14-game losing streak is over.

11:21 p.m. — Howell is quietly up to 388, which is what happens when you spend most of the game playing catch-up.

11:16 p.m. FIELD GOAL — The Bears add on a field goal to make it a 40-burger. Chicago leads by 20 with under two minutes remaining.

11:12 p.m. — Back-to-back sacks for the Bears defense, and Howell has now been sacked 29 times through five games. Patrick Mahomes was sacked 26 times all of last year.

Bears 37, Commanders 20

11:08 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — It's D.J. Moore AGAIN. He slips away from the Commanders and goes 56 yards for his third touchdown of the night. 230 yards for Moore. Fantasy owners, rejoice.

11:04 p.m. — Slye's kick is NO GOOD. That just might do it, if the Bears play their cards right. Chicago's defense bends but doesn't break. 

11:03 p.m. — It's 4th & 15, so Slye is coming in to try and make it a one-possession game.

11:01 p.m. — The Bears continue to generate pressure, which they couldn't do in their first four games. The Commanders' offensive line has been beaten up by defenders all season. 

10:59 p.m. — McLaurin will do it himself! He's had a quiet night, but he catches a pass in stride from Howell and gets 32 yards. 

10:58 p.m. — Officials call back a penalty for defensive pass interference... that one will be debated.

10:54 p.m. — Wow, Logan Thomas makes up for the fumble with a great effort for the first down. If the Commanders make up this deficit, that's going to be remembered as a game-changing play.

10:53 p.m. — Howell has now been sacked 27 times in five games. Yannick Ngakoue gets him and forces 3rd & Long. 

10:51 p.m. — A 51-yard completion to Curtis Samuel gives the Commanders some breathing room.

10:47 p.m. — That was not the drive the Bears wanted. They waste only 90 seconds and are forced to punt. The Commanders have a ways to go from the 20-yard line, but they have more than nine minutes to make up a 10point deficit. 

Bears 30, Commanders 20

10:41 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — After back-to-back incompletions, Howell hits a wide-open Curtis Samuel for the touchdown. The two-point try is no good, which is a killer for the Commanders. Washington needs a quick stop here.

10:38 p.m. — A big third down conversion by Howell, who gets the ball to Dyami Brown. The Commanders are inside the Bears' 30-yard line.

10:35 p.m. — The Commanders get right to midfield on a catch by Byron Pringle. As more time comes off the clock, a touchdown and two-point conversion are becoming absolute musts on this drive if Washington wants to stay in this game.

Bears 30, Commanders 14

10:31 p.m. FIELD GOAL — The Bears bump their lead back to 16 with a 43-yard field goal by Cairo Santos.

10:30 p.m. — Looks like struggling first-round rookie CB Emmanuel Forbes has been benched.

End of third quarter: Bears 27, Commanders 14

10:26 p.m. — Another big play by D.J. Moore! He went out of bounds near the 30-yard line, so part of his gain is called back, but the Bears are set up in Commanders territory.

10:25 p.m. — Herbert is exiting again...FB Khari Blasingame is the only other option on the roster with three RBs out and D'Onta Foreman inactive.

10:24 p.m. — A botched snap turns into a first down for the Bears as Fields holds onto the ball and runs right up the middle.

10:23 p.m. — Khalil Herbert is back in the game for the Bears.

Bears 27, Commanders 14

10:19 p.m. FIELD GOAL — Ron Rivera plays it conservatively and sends Slye out for the field goal. It's a more manageable 13-point deficit for the Commanders, but the Bears remain in control.

10:18 p.m. — What a run by Howell! He doesn't get the first down, but he gets close enough for a 4th & 2 after looking like he might be dropped for a loss.

10:17 p.m. — Greg Stroman Jr. with a huge blindside sack of Howell. That's a loss of nine yards.

10:16 p.m. — Howell hits Antonio Gibson downfield for 41 yards, and some nice footwork allows Gibson to gain those extra few yards.

10:11 p.m. — The Commanders' defense does its job and forces a three-and-out, actually pushing the Bears back 10 yards. 

10:09 p.m. — Jonathan Allen sacks Fields to start the Bears' drive. That was a violent one. 

10:07 p.m. FUMBLE  — That's a bad, bad, bad fumble by Logan Thomas. He loses the football while trying to get a couple extra yards and gives the Bears an instant opportunity to extend their lead. Momentum-killer.

10:06 p.m. — Herbert is up and walking around as the Bears punt. Jamison Crowder with a nice return to give Washington some breathing room. The Commanders can really put some pressure on the Bears with points on this drive.

10:03 p.m. — The Commanders force a fourth down and likely a punt... Khalil Herbert remains down with an injury. The Bears have already lost Roschon Johnson (concussion) tonight. 

10:00 p.m. — Fields makes something happen with his legs and runs 14 yards for a first down. His impact on the ground has been minimal tonight, but that hasn't been an issue considering how well the Bears have moved the ball.

Bears 27, Commanders 11

9:55 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — Where was that in the first half? Howell stays patient and ends a terrific drive with a touchdown pass to Logan Thomas. He runs it in himself for the two-point conversion, making this a two-possession game.

9:53 p.m. — A pass interference call sets up Washington right at the two-yard line. The Commanders are knocking on the door.

9:52 p.m. — Well, the Commanders have fixed something between halves. They rack up 48 yards on four plays to start their first drive of the second half.

End of first half: Bears 27, Commanders 3

9:37 p.m. — The Commanders used a timeout with three seconds left, got 24 yards, and went into the tunnel. It's 27-3, Bears. An ugly one for Washington.

Bears 27, Commanders 3

9:29 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — Fields hits Kmet to give the Bears a 24-point lead! Chicago is pouring it on and in line to win its first game since Oct. 24, 2022.

9:26 p.m. — Khalil Herbert is running angry tonight. A 16-yard run keeps the drive alive and takes Chicago into the red zone.

9:22 p.m. INTERCEPTION — This is just not Washington's night. Howell is intercepted by Greg Stroman Jr., and the Bears have a chance to add to their lead before halftime.

Bears 20, Commanders 3

9:19 p.m. FIELD GOAL — Santos' kick is good, so the Bears extend the lead back to three scores. The Commanders have the ball before and after halftime with a chance to cut into the lead.

9:18 p.m. — It'll be a field goal attempt after a well-covered Mooney can't hold onto what would've been a touchdown.

9:15 p.m. — The Bears are on the edge of red zone, looking to make this a three-score game. The drive has slowed, though, with Chicago needing a pair of quarterback sneaks to keep themselves alive.

9:11 p.m. — Fields hits Kmet for a big 23-yard gain. For the second consecutive week, Fields has had a really clean first half.

Bears 17, Commanders 3

9:06 p.m. FIELD GOAL — Slye's 51-yard attempt is just about perfect. It's back to a two-possession game, and the Commanders' defense has to come out with a sense of urgency on this next drive.

9:05 p.m. — Howell's third down pass goes right off a helmet and into the air, but the Bears can't come up with the interception. Joey Slye will try a long field goal.

9:02 p.m. — Howell has found a rhythm, taking the Commanders into Bears territory, but he misses Dyami Brown on a downfield shot into the end zone. That one could sting. 

9:00 p.m. — The Commanders finally get a first down, thanks to a catch by Logan Thomas on a low pass from Howell. 

Bears 17, Commanders 0

8:56 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — D.J. Moore AGAIN. He's up to 135 yards and two touchdowns in 16 minutes of action, and the Bears are in complete control up 17-0.

End of first quarter: Bears 10, Commanders 0

8:50 p.m. — Fields is brought down by Chase Young, but he's able to throw the ball away. No call for intentional grounding. The Bears are threatening.

8:49 p.m. — D.J. Moore is having an insane game. He's up to 126 yards and a touchdown on four catches after a 39-yard gain. 

8:46 p.m. — Troubling start for the Commanders, who go three-and-out again. They're being out-gained 145-12. 

Bears 10, Commanders 0

8:39 p.m. FIELD GOAL — It's 4th & 1 just a few yards from the end zone, but Matt Eberflus isn't taking anything for granted. A 22-yard field goal puts Chicago up 10-0.

8:38 p.m. — Kmet fumbles on second down, but he avoids disaster by recovering it. 

8:37 p.m. — Herbert breaks free and takes the Bears into the red zone! He did a great job making rookie CB Emmanuel Forbes miss. 

8:33 p.m. — Robert Tonyan picks up an early first down, and the Bears get another first down on a two-cheek sneak by Fields. Chicago is rolling right along.

8:29 p.m. — The Bears quickly force a three-and-out after stuffing Brian Robinson Jr. on 3rd & Inches. Chicago is off to a terrific start. 

Bears 7, Commanders 0

8:23 p.m. TOUCHDOWN — Moore gets wide open again, and this time Fields hits him for the touchdown! The Bears had some strong 3rd down play-calling on that drive. 7-0, Chicago.

8:21 p.m. — Montez Sweat comes in and takes down Fields for the first sack of the night.

8:19 p.m. — This time the downfield shot works! Fields hits an open D.J. Moore for a 58-yard gain gain to take the Bears right  into the red zone.

8:18 p.m. — Fields takes a downfield shot to Darnell Mooney on the opening snap and just misses him. 

8:17 p.m. — The Bears will start with the ball. What does Justin Fields have in store for us tonight?

8:09 p.m. — The Commanders are in all-black tonight. We're just a few minutes away from kickoff. 

8:00 p.m. — Could Matt Eberflus' job be on the line tonight? That's been the question all week, which comes as no surprise after nearly a year without a win. 

7:50 p.m. — Primetime game weather has been pretty solid early in the season, and that continues tonight. It's 70 degrees and partly cloudy in Landover, Md. 

7:32 p.m. — Sam Howell looked excellent late in Sunday's loss to the Eagles, but he's taken a stunning 24 sacks through four games. The Bears have struggled to generate much pressure against opposing QBs. If Howell works with a mostly clean pocket, it could be a long night for Chicago.

7:15 p.m. — NFL commissioner Roger Goodell released a statement after the death of Dick Butkus, calling the Bears legend "a fierce and passionate competitor."

6:44 p.m. — A Bears loss tonight would be the team's 15th in a row. Chicago would be the ninth team this century to lose at least 15 consecutive games.

6:30 p.m. — Very sad news before tonight's game: Bears legend Dick Butkus died suddenly today at the age of 80. 

Bears vs. Commanders start time

  • Date: Thursday, Oct. 5
  • Start time: 8:15 p.m. ET

Thursday night's game between the Bears and Commanders will kick off in prime time at 8:15 p.m. ET from FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.

What channel is Bears vs. Commanders on today?

  • Game: Chicago Bears vs. Washington Commanders
  • Date: Thursday, Oct. 3
  • TV channel (Chicago): WFLD (Channel 32)
  • TV channel (Washington): WTTG (Channel 5)
  • Live stream: Amazon Prime Video | DAZN (in Canada)

Thursday's clash between the Bears and Commanders will be aired exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. Al Michaels (play-by-play) and Kirk Herbstreit (color analyst) will be on the call from FedEx Field, with Kaylee Hartung serving as the sideline reporter.

Viewers in both the Chicago and Washington, D.C. markets can watch the game on their local Fox affiliates.

Those in Canada can stream it on DAZN, which carries every NFL game all season.

Dan Treacy

Dan Treacy Photo

Dan Treacy is a content producer for Sporting News, joining in 2022 after graduating from Boston University. He founded @allsportsnews on Instagram in 2012 and has written for Lineups and Yardbarker.