I don’t know if I’m just in a good mood following the news that Justin Fields is the starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears moving forward or what, but I have a dangerous amount of enthusiasm for this team on Sunday. I honestly have not felt this confident about an upcoming offensive performance since last season’s beatdown in Jacksonville.
I know the Las Vegas Raiders are 3-1 and Sin City can certainly make you do crazy things, but I’m feeling good about a big win this week for the Bears to go over .500 for the first time this season. Here’s how they’ll get there in this week’s bold predictions.
Justin Fields throws for 2+ touchdown passes
AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski
I’ve been bullish on Fields since he first filled in for Andy Dalton against the Cleveland Browns. I figured it would take him some time to adapt and find his footing. After two weeks, it’s clear he’s well on his way with his development. He takes the next step this weekend when he throws his first and second touchdown passes of his career. Fields got close last week with some of his deep bombs before the running game took over to seal the deal.
With David Montgomery out due to injury, Fields will need to do a little more than attempt 17 passes. He’s going to throw quite a bit more, and a couple of them are going for touchdowns.
Allen Robinson goes for 100+ yards
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Last week, it was Darnell Mooney going over the century mark. This week, it will be Allen Robinson. Fields has shown a tendency to favor both players when throwing the ball and they both should take advantage of a depleted Raiders secondary. But I’m betting on Robinson, who caught three passes for 63 yards against the Lions after a slow start to the season.
Robinson’s had success against the Raiders in the past, totaling 97 yards and two touchdowns in their last meeting in 2019. The Bears WR1 is still very reliable, and this matchup provides a great opportunity for him to pop off.
Khalil Mack finally gets his revenge
AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez
Let me ask something; was the 2019 matchup with the Raiders truly a revenge game for Khalil Mack? It was played at a neutral site after all so I propose a motion to have it stricken from the record, therefore making this week’s game the true revenge game for the star pass rusher. In all seriousness, though, Mack and the Bears defensive front are on a war path right now. They lead the league with 15 sacks, Mack having four of them, and are facing a Raiders front that is struggling to protect Derek Carr.
In 2019, Jon Gruden kept the offense away from Mack but with the play of Robert Quinn, I don’t think that’s possible. Mack gets a sack and possibly a fumble too in his return/debut to Las Vegas.
Alec Ogletree gets his 1st interception of the year
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Remember back in training camp when Alec Ogletree arrived to the Bears facility and promptly started taking away every single football from the quarterbacks? It’s been awhile since we’ve seen that from the veteran linebacker, but after a great start to the season, I see him getting his hands on another pass in this game. Ogletree, along with Roquan Smith, are faced with the tall task of guarding tight end Darren Waller. The monster receiving threat is a matchup nightmare for defenses, standing at 6-foot 6, 256 lbs and is the focal point of the Raiders passing attack.
Though both linebackers will be tasked with guarding him, Ogletree might be the better option considering he’s two inches taller than Smith. With a ferocious pass rush bearing down on him, one of those passes is going to be off target, giving Ogletree his first interception of the season.
Jakeem Grant makes an early impact
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Though much of the talk this week has centered on Fields taking over as quarterback, the Bears did make an interesting move to bolster their return game. The team traded for wide receiver Jakeem Grant from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for a late-round draft pick in 2023. Grant immediately takes over return duties and he’s going to jumpstart the special teams unit.
The former Dolphin may not take one to the house this weekend, but he’s going to gain plenty of yards on his returns to give Fields and the offense excellent field position on more than one occasion. The Bears need help in the return game and Grant is the man for the job.
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