The Chicago Bears (2-2) will face the Las Vegas Raiders (3-1) on Sunday, where Chicago will be looking for its first road win of the season. And they’ll be doing it with new QB1 Justin Fields under center.
The Bears are riding some momentum following a 24-14 win over the Lions, where Chicago’s offense looked the best it has all season behind David Montgomery, Fields and new play caller Bill Lazor. While the defense wasn’t perfect, they did allow just 14 points, forced two turnovers and had four sacks. And they’ll be looking to replicate that success against a talented Raiders team on Sunday.
Can Chicago pull off the upset against Las Vegas in Week 5? Our Bears Wire staff shares their predictions for Sunday’s game.
Alyssa Barbieri (4-0): 27-24 Bears
AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo
Call this a gut feeling, but I truly believe the Bears can go into Las Vegas and pull off the upset against the Raiders. And it certainly helps that former Bears defensive coordinator and current Chargers head coach Brandon Staley created a blueprint for how to stop this Raiders offense. The Bears have one of the best pass rushes in the NFL, where they lead the league with 15 sacks. Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn have combined for 8.5 sacks, 12 QB hits and 14 QB pressures. While Chicago has questions in the secondary, outside Jaylon Johnson, the pass rush will be key in setting the tone early for the defense.
But it’s going to take a lot more than just the Bears defense to win this one. Chicago’s offense is going to need to build on last week’s performance to have a chance, and I think they will. Sure, the Raiders have some defensive players up front who could make things difficult on rookie Justin Fields — including Maxx Crosby — but unlike Matt Nagy, the expectation is Bill Lazor will do what he needs to do to protect Fields. Las Vegas has a banged up secondary, and the goal should be to exploit that with a downfield passing attack where guys like Allen Robinson and Darnell Mooney should benefit.
The loss of David Montgomery is going to be huge, but Damien Williams is a viable option in the run game, and he’s going to get plenty of chances to remind people why he should’ve been MVP in Super Bowl LIV with the Chiefs. But the Bears can’t depend solely on the run game to get things done. They’re going to need a lot more from Fields this week, who attempted just 17 passes last week. The rookie is no stranger to the big stage, and he’ll face his biggest challenge yet this week as Chicago’s QB1.
Brendan Sugrue (4-0): 30-27 Bears
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Remember in Star Wars when Luke Skywalker first experienced the Death Star? The kid from Tatooine barely made it out alive after he escaped with Princess Leia and Han Solo aboard the Millennium Falcon and didn’t seem ready for what lay ahead. But he quickly returned, helping the Rebel Alliance take down the super weapon by using the Force and trusting in his abilities to save the galaxy. THAT is how I see the contrast between this game for Justin Fields against the Las Vegas Raiders vs. his first start against the Cleveland Browns now that he’s been named the permanent starter. And it doesn’t hurt that Allegiant Stadium kind of looks like a Death Star, right?
Confidence is huge for a young quarterback and Fields has it after his play against the Lions. Fields isn’t afraid to look for the big play and offensive coordinator Bill Lazor knows how to utilize the rookie. My gut says he takes another step in his development with a big win and should have some help from his defense too.
Though the Raiders offense has been exceptional through four weeks of the season, the Los Angeles Chargers gave everyone the blueprint to beat them. If the front seven can get to Derek Carr, he’ll start making mistakes. And it just so happens the Bears are tops in the league in sacks.
This one could turn into a shootout, but I like Fields and the Bears to make a statement in a surprise upset. May the Force be with them.
Ryan Fedrau (2-2): 28-17 Raiders
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The Bears are going in their toughest stretch of the season. If they’re going to win any of the next six games, it’s going to be against the Raiders and/or the Steelers.
Even thought the Raiders are coming off of a loss, I don’t see Chicago beating them. I think Derek Carr is too good right now and the offense won’t be able to keep up with Vegas. The defense will only be able to do so much without help on offense.
If Bill Lazor is calling plays and Justin Fields doesn’t turn the football over, they have a chance. But if things go south early, everything is going to end up on Fields’ arm.
Expect the running game to be less effective without David Montgomery. That’s a big loss right now, especially considering the next six opponents.
Nate Atkins (0-0): 31-27 Raiders
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
If the Raiders haven’t figured out their issues with pass protection, it could be a long day for Derek Carr.
The Bears have 15 sacks in four games and will be looking to pick up where the Chargers left off – getting in Carr’s face and making it challenging for him to throw the ball. It’ll be much-needed pressure since there’s a genuine concern with the Bears’ lack of pass coverage.
On offense, with Bill Lazor taking over the play-calling duties, the Bears’ offense came alive, pushing the ball downfield. They’ll look to have similar success against a mediocre Raiders secondary.
At running back, with the news that David Montgomery is out for multiple weeks, Damien Williams has a chance to display the skills that made him the fan’s choice for MVP in Super Bowl 54. The Raiders struggle against the run, allowing nearly 5 yards per rush. It should be an excellent day for Williams.
I predict the Bears lose this one late on a costly mistake from Fields as his inexperience gets the better of him. Like last week, there’ll be things to be excited about, but he’s not there yet, and frankly, neither is this Bears team.
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