The NFC East hasn’t been a powerful division so far this season, but even so, the Washington Redskins didn’t anticipate being 1-4 just one season after winning the NFC East title. With no teams above .500, the opportunity is there for the Redskins to right the ship, and they’d love to do that today as the Chicago Bears travel to FedEx Field for a 1pm Eastern / 10am Pacific kickoff. Although the game may not appear as a big game ratings-wise, it could be a major turnaround game for either team. Here’s a preview of what to expect if you choose to watch Bears vs Redskins online free streaming using one of several different methods.
The Redskins rank fourth in the NFL with 399.2 yards per game, which you’d like to attribute to Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (RG3) putting on a show in his sophomore season. But anyone who’s watched a Redskins game or read the sports headlines know RG3 has struggled mightily, leading his team to a ranking of just 20th at points scored, with a 21.4-point average per game. The falloff can be largely attributed to his slow return to form after off-season surgery, although truth be told he’s not having the worst season: 125-209 for 1,448 yards and six touchdowns.
Instead, RG3 is finding it harder to run the ball, which has led him to claim he’s going to look for more pocket-passing opportunities as the season goes on. That’s largely where his opponent today, Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, has flourished this season. Through six weeks, Bears QB Cutler has gone 143-217 for 1,630 yards and 12 touchdowns, good enough to rank him third in the NFL’s Total Quarterback Ratings for the 2013 NFL season. RG3, by comparison, is ranked 32nd on that list.
Yet it’s not just a battle of quarterbacks, so when you watch Bears vs Redskins online free streaming you’ll see a complete team effort. Defensively, the Redskins rank near the bottom of the league with 395 yards and 28.6 points allowed. They’ll be going up against the NFL’s 10th-ranked offense, so you know they’ll bring their A-game. Part of the reason is motivation to avoid going 0-3 at home since 1998, with their FedEx Field losses so far this year having come against Philadelphia and Detroit by a combined 13 points. Close games are a specialty when the Bears and Redskins face off, to the point that the Redskins have won four straight over the Bears — but by a combined 16 points.
The defenses are thus likely to play a big role in whether the 3-3 Bears or 1-4 Redskins come out on top. The last time Bears QB Cutler faced Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall, the Chicago quarterback had one of the worst games of his career. Cutler wasn’t interested in talking about that matchup this week, calling Hall just “another player.” That may seem like locker room fodder, but the fact is that the Redskins defense is giving up 30 more yards per game this season than the Bears’ D, with comparatively worse figures in both passing and rushing yards allowed. Whichever team can get the better of the opposing quarterback will likely win this game, and in light of RG3’s still-struggling game, that currently seems to favor the Bears.
However, because these teams’ games are historically close, ESPN’s analysts aren’t unanimous in saying who will win, though there are five more votes for the Bears. To see for yourself who wins, you can see the game live on CBS or watch Bears vs Redskins online free streaming on DirecTV if you have the NFL Sunday Ticket Package. Although the package itself requires a subscription, anyone can watch the live streaming version free if they have it. Chicago and Washington always put on a good show, and this year the middle-of-the-road teams both have added motivation to play smashmouth football and kick-start the second half of their seasons.