Things ended in disaster the last time the Chicago Bears went on the road to play the Washington Commanders. With Chicago just two seconds away from going 5-2, Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels completed a Hail Mary attempt to stun the Bears.

It was a soul-crushing loss, one that introduced Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson to the rest of the NFL world, and not in a good way. The loss had a long-lasting effect on the team. The Bears lost their next nine games, leading to the firing of Matt Eberflus in the middle of the season.

Given that devastating loss and the reverberating effects it had on the team, there's already a lot of focus on Chicago's trip back to Northwest Stadium in Week 6. While it might be hard to shake what happened last season, new Bears coach Ben Johnson is downplaying the team's return to its worst loss in recent memory.

When asked about last year's game, Johnson stressed that the 2025 Bears are a completely different team, according to NBCSports.com.

“You’d have to talk to those guys about it,” Johnson said. “We’re a new team and we’re just focused on winning this game this week.”

Johnson is among the team's biggest changes. While his tenure has experienced rocky moments thus far — pre-snap penalties and a Week 1 collapse against the Minnesota Vikings were reminiscent of last season — Johnson has also shown flashes of his brilliance. The Bears pulled off an impressive win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3 and pulled off an uncharacteristic, tough win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 5. While the win over the Raiders wasn't impressive, it was the type of game the team has been known for losing in recent years.

Carrying that momentum into Week 6 would be huge for Chicago. The game against the Commanders not only gives the team a chance to make up for last year's massive error, it also pits Daniels and Caleb Williams against each other again. 

After their rookie seasons, it certainly looked like the Commanders got the best quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft. Daniels — who the Commanders took No. 2 overall — turned in a Pro Bowl season, picking up 31 total touchdowns and leading the Commanders to the playoffs. Williams — who went No. 1 overall in the draft — looked lost at times during his rookie season, getting sacked a league-leading 68 times while going 5-12 as a stater.

Williams has already shown signs of growth under Johnson. Through four games, Williams has thrown eight touchdowns against two interceptions. Following the team's Week 3 win over the Cowboys, Williams won the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award. It was the first time in his career he took home that honor. 

With the team in a much different spot, the Bears will look for a much different result against the Commanders on Monday night. A loss would sting, though not as much as last year. A win, however, could help the team exorcize some demons, despite Johnson downplaying the contest.