Washington Redskins vs. Chicago Bears: Washington Grades, Notes and Quotes

Keeping pace in the NFC East race, the Washington Redskins defeated the Chicago Bears 24-21 in Week 14. 

After blowing a 14-point lead, Washington pitched a fourth-quarter shutout and hung on as the Bears lost on a missed field goal for a second consecutive week.

While they were outgained 377-374 in total yards, the Redskins held the edge in time of possession (34:22) and benefited from converting all three of their red-zone trips into touchdowns.

Moving past the recap, here are Washington's postgame grades, notes and quotes.

Position Grades

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Quarterback: B-

Bouncing back from a tough loss in Week 13, Kirk Cousins ended a personal nine-game losing streak on the road. And unlike the team's previous five wins, he didn't have to turn in a flawless performance to accomplish this feat.

A byproduct of holding the ball too long, Cousins was sacked three times. Furthermore, he threw an interception—one of the bonehead variety—his first in a Washington win this season.

On a positive note, he accounted for two touchdowns and completed 24 of 31 passes for 300 yards.

Given his well-documented struggles on the road, this is a step in the right direction for Cousins.

Running Backs: C

As it turned out, not even the Bears' No. 29-ranked run defense could cure what ailed the Redskins running game.

On 33 carries, the team garnered 99 yards. After serving as the lead back on the opening series—which he capped with a touchdown—Alfred Morris conceded the backfield to rookie Matt Jones for the remainder of game.

In response, Jones tallied 86 total yards, with a significant chunk coming after contact.

Starter or not, with Chris Thompson banged-up, all signs point to Jones heading up the rushing attack in the coming weeks. For a second consecutive week, he finished the game as the team leader in carries (18).

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: B+

With Chicago keen on preventing the big play, Washington's receivers settled in the short-to-intermediate area. The long reception on the game was 32 yards.

Courtesy of yards accumulated after the catch, the team's wideouts averaged over 13 yards per reception.

For their part, the trio of Jordan Reed, DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon combined for 16 catches, 215 yards and a touchdown against the Bears' second-ranked pass defense.

Offensive Line: C-

While the numbers are identical (three sacks, six quarterback hits) to its showing in Week 13, the offensive line was much improved in pass protection. Cousins had ample time to survey the field, putting the pressure he did endure off its plate.

The running game is another matter. The Bears consistently had a presence in the backfield on run calls, registering seven tackles for loss.

Defensive Line/Linebackers: C+

The league's No. 25 run defense held Chicago to 87 yards on the ground. But while the pass rush did produce three sacks, three quarterback hits and forced a fumble, containment was a major issue.

Jay Cutler's best work on the afternoon came via freelance after escaping the pocket, with Alshon Jeffrey's 50-yard reception the chief highlight.

With a matchup looming in Week 15 against the elusive Tyrod Taylor, the Redskins will have to address this weakness in short order.

Defensive Backs: B-

Cutler did throw for two touchdowns and 315 yards, but to its credit, Washington's secondary did a solid initial job in coverage. As previously stated, the majority of Cutler's yardage came on broken plays.

Even with that said, the big plays it surrendered have to be addressed. Tied to defensive backs losing contact with receivers in coverage, Washington surrendered four receptions of 20-plus yards. Also discouraging is the fact that Jeffrey was the receiver being lost most frequently.

Surrounded by a depleted receiving corps—and overthrown on a likely touchdown—he still managed to register six catches for 107 yards.

The Redskins defended Chicago's screen game well, but with Sammy Watkins coming to D.C. next, fixing this deficiency has to be a priority.

Special Teams: C+

On the special teams front, a meager showing in the return game was balanced out by solid kick coverage.

Dustin Hopkins' number wasn't called often, but his lone field goal did provide the winning margin.

Coaching: B

Thoroughly outcoached the previous week, specifically on offense, Washington's coaching staff's work in game prep stood out in Chicago.

The Redskins had a good read on what type of defense the Bears would use for this game, per ESPN's John Keim, and it showed early on.

The offense churned out 12 first downs and completed all three of its third downs on its first two drives—both of which ended in a touchdown.

On the defensive side, Washington forced Cutler to methodically move the ball early, and the result was a turnover and a three-and-out.

The coaching staff wasn't flawless, with the team's second-quarter offensive woes (nine yards) and a delay-of-game penalty following a timeout standing as the biggest grievances.

Nonetheless, this is improvement by any measure.

Important Note No. 1: Turnover Differential Remains a Problem Spot

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For the season, and in this game, Washington's turnover differential is even.

Thing is, the scoreboard hasn't reflected this for the Redskins. Entering this game, per ESPN's John Keim, the team had a minus-73 point differential off of turnovers. Mind you, no other team was worse than minus-40.

These struggles were further exacerbated in this bout. Following Cutler's fumble, the Redskins lost four yards on the ensuing drive and punted. In contrast, the Bears turned Cousins' interception into a quick-strike touchdown.

Robbie Gould's late miss may have granted Washington a reprieve this time, but if the NFC East crown is to be anything more than a pipe dream, it can't continue this trend going forward.

Important Note No. 2: Jordan Reed Shines

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

In the midst of his best NFL season, Reed had another banner day in Chicago. 

Reed caught all nine of his targets and finished with 120 yards receiving. After coming up an inch shy in the first quarter, Reed registered his seventh touchdown reception on the year, a career high.

You'd have to go back to Chris Cooley in 2007 to find a Washington tight end with more touchdowns.

Speaking of history, this isn't the first occasion Reed has scorched the Bears. His rookie year he caught all nine of his targets for 134 yards and a touchdown.

Next up, the Buffalo Bills and their No. 5 pass defense defending tight ends, per Football Outsiders.

Quote No. 1: Road Woes Come to an End

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You know the numbers by now. A nine-game losing streak for the team and Cousins (dating three years back) away from home.

A 1-12 record for head coach Jay Gruden. Going even further back, losses in 19 of its past 21 road bouts.

No more, though. Speaking postgame, via the team's official Twitter feed, Cousins relished this rare road win. "It feels good to win, especially on the road," he said.

While you can't overlook Washington's struggles here because of a lone win, the resolve the team showed in this victory is noteworthy.

Even with this dark recent history against them, the Skins didn't fold after blowing a 14-point lead. Looking ahead, the win here gives the team margin for error to close the year.

Road games loom with both the Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles. But given the schedules ahead for both the Eagles and New York Giants—including games with the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers, respectively—Washington's playoff hopes won't be dashed if it fails to sweep both.

Quote No. 2: Defense Answers Bell Late

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Chicago's loss will fall on the leg of Gould for a consecutive week. But as Gruden tells it, kudos goes to defensive coordinator Joe Barry for putting the game on Gould's leg to begin with.

According to Mike Jones of the Washington Post, Gruden credited Barry for dialing up blitzes on the final drive to pressure Cutler.

While Barry prefers to utilize a four-man rush, Cutler forced the coordinator's hand to be more aggressive with his forays outside the pocket. In turn, Cutler was bottled up after connecting with Jeffrey, and the result was two incompletions.

Knowing Taylor has yet to register a carry against the blitz in 2015, per ESPN.com, a similar approach from Barry may be in order against the Bills.