The Bears (4-2) will be seeking their fourth straight victory Sunday when they face the Commanders (5-2) in Washington. Here are three things that should increase their chances of winning:

(1) Contain Washington's explosive offense.

The Commanders entered Week 8 averaging 31.1 points per game, tied with the Ravens for tops in the NFL. The Bears will counter with a stingy defense that has not allowed more than 21 points in 12 straight games dating back to last season, the longest active streak in the league. The unit ranks in the top five in the NFL in multiple categories: first in opponent passer rating (72.8), third in takeaways per game (2.2), fourth in points per game (16.8) and fifth in total yards per game (292.0) and red-zone touchdown percentage (43.8).

"The challenge that we have in front of us this week goes to the extremes," said defensive coordinator Eric Washington. "They can attack you from multiple directions. They're scoring a lot of points. They are able to run the football. The quarterback has done a nice job of establishing who he is in the framework of this offense. They're protecting the football. They're protecting the quarterback. This will be a great opportunity for us to not only evaluate our values but to measure ourselves against a pretty good offense and a really experienced play caller."

The Commanders offense is coordinated by Kliff Kingsbury and quarterbacked by rookie Jayden Daniels, who was selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft after the Bears chose quarterback Caleb Williams at No. 1. A dangerous passer and runner, Daniels leads the NFL with a 75.6 completion percentage, ranks sixth with a 107.0 passer rating and is second among quarterbacks in rushing with 372 yards.

Daniels, however, may not play Sunday. He's listed as questionable on the injury report and will be a game-time decision due to a rib injury that knocked him out of last weekend's 40-7 win over the Panthers.

If Daniels is unable to go, the Commanders will start 10th-year pro Marcus Mariota, who engineered six straight scoring drives against Carolina, completing 18 of 23 passes for 205 yards with two touchdowns and a 132.8 passer rating.

Washington didn't alter its offense much when Mariota replaced Daniels in that contest, and the Bears are expecting a similar game plan regardless of which quarterback plays Sunday.

"I don't anticipate it will [change] if [Mariota] is the starter," Washington said. "They're going to run their offense, and he is capable of executing exactly what they want to get done within all of the concepts."

(2) Another strong performance by Williams and the Bears offense.

After a slow start to the season, the offense has been on a major roll over the last month, fueling the Bears' three-game winning streak. During that span, the unit has generated 13 touchdowns and averaged 354.7 yards per game after mustering three TDs and averaging 249.3 yards in its first three contests.

The Bears scored five TDs in each of their last two games in wins over the Panthers and Jaguars, the first time they've done that in back-to-back contests since 1956.

Williams has been the catalyst, showing why he was the consensus No. 1 pick in the draft. Since Week 4, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner ranks second in the NFL with a 122.8 passer rating and a 74.1 completion percentage. Williams has thrown for seven touchdowns and one interception in the last three games after passing for two TDs and four interceptions in the first three contests.

On Sunday, Williams and the Bears will face a Commanders defense that ranks 28th in the NFL in TD passes allowed (12) and 30th in opponent passer rating (107.4). The unit is led by linebackers Bobby Wagner, who tops Washington with 62 tackles, and Dante Fowler Jr., who has recorded a team-high 4.5 sacks.

The Bears' resurgence on offense has also been keyed by a vastly improved running game. Led by dual-threat back D'Andre Swift, the Bears have rushed for an average of 137.0 yards in their last three games after averaging 72.7 yards the first three weeks of the season. Swift has increased his average yards from scrimmage from 38.0 in the first three games to 134.7 in the last three contests.

(3) Stop the run.

The Commanders sit atop the NFC East in part due to their ability to run the ball. They rank third in the NFL in rushing, averaging 165.4 yards per game. While Daniels has accounted for a sizeable chunk of that, running back Brian Robinson Jr. has rushed for 396 yards and six touchdowns on 85 carries for the Commanders, who lead the NFL with 14 rushing TDs.

"Very physical," Washington said. "First of all, they pave the way for him. They do an excellent job of blocking your configuration. So, however you're aligned, whether you're in a five-man front, a four-man front, they know how to do that. He's a downhill player, he protects the football and he's a tough out. Very, very tough, leans forward, and so he's going to hit the hole with authority and he's going to challenge your ability to tackle him."

The Commanders also feature dual-threat back Austin Ekeler, who has rushed for 188 yards and one TD on 32 carries and caught 17 passes for 201 yards.

Asked about the running game the Bears will face Sunday, Washington said: "There are a lot of counter schemes, a lot of offensive linemen pulling one way with the option of handing the football off and the quarterback keeping the football. And then they have what I call the traditional core run plays. So they have a broad menu of run concepts, quarterback-designed runs, reverses, runs designed to get the receivers the football, to get the tight end the football. They can come out with two tailbacks and so we have to make sure when the dust is settled, we trust our keys, we are where we're supposed to be relative to the call and we execute."