Can the Chicago Bears protect Caleb Williams against the Commanders in Week 6?

The Chicago Bears’ offensive line faces a huge challenge in Week 6 against the Commanders. Can they keep rookie quarterback Caleb Williams on his feet long enough to deliver a win?

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For the most part, the Chicago Bears' rebuilt offensive line has done its job this season. Sure, the running game has struggled to get going, but the protection for quarterback Caleb Williams has been significantly improved.

After surrendering an NFL-worst 68 sacks in 2024, the Bears are averaging only 1.8 sacks allower per game, which ranks 11th-best in the NFL. Even better than that is their QB hits allowed per game; the Bears are the best in the league allowing just 2.5.

But Week 6's Monday night matchup against the Washington Commanders will pose a big challenge for Joe Thuney and the rest of the starting five.

The Commanders average three sacks per game, good for fourth-best in the NFL. They average 6.2 QB hits per game, which also ranks in the top 10 at No. 7 in the league.

As a result, Sports Illustrated is predicting a long night for Caleb Williams.

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"Although Chicago’s offensive line has improved since last year when Williams was sacked 68 times, I’m expecting it will be on the wrong side of the battle in the trenches Monday night," SI's Karl Rasmussen wrote. "Williams has already had one game in which he was sacked four times this year, and I’m anticipating Monday night will be a similar experience. Expect Williams to be under duress in the pocket and wind up getting sacked no less than three times by Washington’s defense."

All eyes will be on the Bears' left tackle, Theo Benedet, whose making the first start of his career on the left side. He replaces veteran Braxton Jones, who struggled in his return from a fractured ankle suffered last December.

"It's really rewarding, I would say, because you put a lot of work into it, as everybody does," Benedet said. "But I'm fortunate to be in a good situation, obviously, to have the opportunity and I just want to play football. At the end of the day, that's what I have fun doing. So it's just great to get out there and go play."

if Benedet can keep the Commanders' pass rush at bay, there's a chance he'll lock down the left tackle spot for the foreseeable future, which would be great news for a Chicago Bears team that's unlikely to offer Jones a new contract at the end of the 2025 season.

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