The final home game of the year featured the Bears hosting the Washington Redskins, who led the all-time series 26-23-1. To attack Washington's defense, Jeff Joniak stated the Bears should utilize Jordan Howard; Howard, who was approaching 1,200 rushing yards on the season, took on a Redskins run defense that ranked 27th in percentage of runs at least four yards and 30th in first down run defense with 4.98 yards per carry. As for Chicago's defense, it faced a Washington offense that ranked third in the league. It also contained plenty of speed with players like receivers DeSean Jackson, who recorded three 100-yard games in the last four; Jamison Crowder, who led the Redskins with seven receiving touchdowns; Pierre Gar&#231;on, who led the team with 71 catches; tight ends Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis combined for 104 catches and seven touchdowns. Joniak added the run defense, who struggled against the Packers last week, needed to watch running back Rob Kelly, who ran for 137 yards against Green Bay five weeks earlier. Joniak also wrote the Bears had provided a challenge for playoff-contending teams, and one like the Redskins, who were "on a short week, off a loss and on the road," was "susceptible against the feisty Bears." Chris Thompson scored the first points of the game for the Redskins with a seven-yard touchdown run. Matt Barkley attempted to lead the Bears in response, spurred by 18-yard passes to Deonte Thompson and Alshon Jeffery along with Howard's 23-yard run. However, Barkley threw two incomplete passes, which resulted in Connor Barth attempting a 22-yard field goal, but the kick was blocked by Preston Smith. Thompson ran for a 17-yard touchdown on the next drive; when Chicago entered Washington territory once again, Barkley's pass for Josh Bellamy went into triple coverage and was intercepted by Bashaud Breeland at the one-yard line. Dustin Hopkins later kicked a 29-yard field goal. The next three drives of the game ended with a touchdown: Jeremy Langford ran for a one-yard touchdown, Kirk Cousins recorded a nine-yard touchdown run and Barkley threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Meredith. Barkley struggled early in the second half when he threw interceptions on each of the Bears' first four drives of the half to Josh Norman (twice), Breeland and Will Blackmon; the Redskins converted two of the picks into scores with Cousins' one-yard touchdown run and Hopkins' 20-yard field goal. Although Barkley threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Thompson, Mack Brown's 61-yard touchdown run increased the margin between the two teams to 20 points as the Bears lost 41-21. With the loss, the Bears fell to 3-12 for the first time since the NFL expanded to 16 games in 1978. The 41 points allowed were the most since the team allowed 48 in 2015 to the Cardinals.. Which team scored first?