So far this season, fans, media and the team itself have been waiting for Robert Griffin III to truly look like the dynamic playmaker they saw last season. Sunday, against the injury-depleted Chicago Bears, Griffin looked his best yet, leading the Washington Redskins to a huge 45-41 win over the Bears, to raise their record to 2-4 before heading off to a showdown with the Broncos in Denver next weekend.

Griffin threw for 298 yards and two touchdowns on 18-of-29 passing, but he looked his best all season running with the ball, carrying 11 times for 84 yards, much from the read-option formation. On the second play from scrimmage, Griffin called his own number and burst around right end for 23 yards and continued to run the keeper all day long. That first drive ended up with a 38-yard Kai Forbath field goal, but it set the precedent for what the Skins offense would do all afternoon.

The Bears took advantage of a short field after a 37-yard Sav Rocca punt and answered with 47-yard field goal by Robbie Gould. On the ensuing possession, Griffin made on of his few mistakes on the day, lobbing a pass toward Leonard Hankerson on the right sideline that was picked off by Charles Tillman and returned to the Skins 10-yard line. It took the Bears just two plays to score, with Matt Forte scoring the first of his three touchdowns of the day on a two-yard plunge.

But the Redskins took the kickoff and marched down the field, going 80 yards on 13 plays, capped by Roy Helu, Jr.’s 14-yard scoring run from off-tackle right, which was exquisitely blocked up front to make it 10-10 just after the start of the second quarter.

On the next play from scrimmage, Reed Doughty broke up a Jay Cutler pass intended for Alshon Jeffery, and the ball hung up for Brian Orakpo to gather in and rumble 29 yards for the first pick-six of his career.

Two possessions later, Bears QB Jay Cutler was sacked by Chris Baker — first of Baker’s NFL career — and came up lame. He was helped off the field and into the Bears locker, where it was announced that he sustained a groin injury and would not return. Josh McCown replaced Cutler and created difficulty right off the bat with his mobility, as his first play was an 11-yard scramble.

Later in the quarter, another special teams breakdown led to a Bears touchdown. Rocca punted to the left sideline to pen return specialist Devin Hester in. Unfortunately, Hester broke back to the other side of the field, broke containment, and sprinted up the right sideline untouched for an 81-yard TD to tie the game at 17.

As was the theme of the day though, the Skins offense went right back to work, this time going 74 yards on 11 plays, culminated by Griffin’s three-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Reed in the right corner of the end zone on a fade pattern. Reed had a 15-yard catch earlier in the drive and ended up with 9 catches for 134 for the day, both career highs. The Skins held a 24-17 halftime lead, but things got even crazier in the second half.

The Bears first drive resulted in a missed field goal, but on their second possession Forte burst through the line and went 50 yards for a touchdown to tie it back up. But Griffin led the Skins right back, driving 83 yards on eight plays, including a 30-yard completion to Aldrick Robinson, before Helu carried three yards to put the Skins back up 31-24.

Chicago used a 28-yard completion from McCown to Jeffery, then a 15-yard personal foul on Brandon Meriweather, to get in position for Forte to carry six yards for his third TD of the day to tie it at 31.

This time, the Redskins used a quick strike. On second-and-nine, Griffin had Josh Morgan streaking wipe open on a 20-yard crossing route, but instead heaved it 45 yards to Robinson, who made the catch between Tillman and safety Chris Conte, who fell after bumping Robinson trying to get into position. Regardless, the longest pass of the season resulted in a Redskins touchdown and 38-31 lead.

The Bears next drive stalled at the Washington 31, after Orakpo and David Amerson harassed McCown on second and third downs respectively and the Bears settled for a 49-yard Gould field goal. Following a Skins three-and-out, Chicago went back to work. McCown hit Brandon Marshall for the receiver’s biggest gain of the day, a 44-yard catch and run off a slant route, and after a touchdown pass was nullified by an illegal formation penalty, the Bears made the next one stick, as McCown connected with tight end Marcellus Bennett for a seven-yard score, giving the Bears their first lead since the first quarter.

The Redskins took over with 3:57 to play at their own 20-yard line. Griffin found Reed for 26 yards on the first play of the drive. Later, he connected three times with Pierre Garcon for gains of seven, nine and six yards. On third-and-4 from Chicago’s 13, Griffin hit Reed for a 10-yard completion and on first down, Helu broke it up inside for his third touchdown strike of the day, to provide the 45-41 margin of victory.