The stakes are already high for the Chicago Bears as they prepare to face the Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football Week 6.
After an embarrassing loss on the national stage last year — more on that in a minute — the Bears are more than a tad eager to settle the score. That’s not going to be easy, though.
Both teams enter the matchup eager to shake off early-season inconsistencies and make a statement in a game that could have serious playoff implications down the line. While the spotlight will naturally fall on Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels — two young quarterbacks with plenty to prove — another group could shape how this game unfolds: the officiating crew.
Penalties, pace and even field position could hinge on how the refs call the game, and as it turns out, the crew set to call the game has a reputation worth knowing about.
Who’s Officiating the Bears & Commanders Game Week 6 & Why it Matters
Alex Moore will wear the white hat on Monday Night Football. Football Zebras’ Week 6 assignments list Moore as the head official, noting that weekly substitutions can occur on any crew. Moore is a first-year NFL referee after being promoted this spring.
The referee may be new to his job, but his group has been quite busy so far this season. Through five games, Moore and his crew have assessed 95 accepted penalties for 704 yards — 19.0 flags and 140.8 yards per game, the highest volume in the league by any officiating crew.
Their most frequent calls should terrify a Bears offense that has yet to stifle their issues with pre-snap penalties. So far, Moore’s crew has thrown the most fags for offensive holding (24 total penalties; 4.8 per game) and false starts (23; 4.6 per game).
They’ve also tagged roughing the passer three times and defensive pass interference twice.
Moore’s 2025 crew includes veterans such as down judge Dana McKenzie, back judge Greg Yette and former NFL linebacker Terry Killens at umpire — which could mean that trench technique and pre-snap organization will be under the microscope.
Given Moore’s profile, anticipate an early emphasis on cadence integrity and hand placement. False starts have been a frequent trigger for this crew; silent-count timing on the road can be tricky, so Chicago’s tackles and tight ends need to be ready to go.
As far as handing out defensive flags, Moore’s group has leaned more toward offensive fouls than ticky-tack downfield contact — only two DPIs in five games — which subtly favors physical secondaries.
Bears Could Silence Some Doubters With a Won Monday Night
These two teams have gone back and forth in recent years. Washington stunned Chicago 18–15 last October, on a last-second Hail Mary from Daniels that was deflected into the hands of WR Noah Brown — a collapse that helped catalyze major changes in Chicago. The year prior, the Bears stomped Washington, 40–20, behind a three-TD, 230-yard performance from wideout DJ Moore. Now, with the series split over the last two years, this matchup carries added weight for Williams.
A win on Monday night would help validate Chicago’s offensive rebuild around him. It’s a huge opportunity for him to show he can respond to last year’s ridiculousness.
If Chicago protects the pocket and avoids drive-killers, it has a chance to upset the Commanders. If Washington keeps the rush lanes disciplined for Daniels, it can dictate tempo as it did in last year’s ending.
Again, assignments can change, but as of October 9, Moore will be leading the officiating crew, so whichever team plays the cleanest game will have the best shot at leaving with a ‘W.’
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