Windy City Gridiron
The Chicago Bears are traveling out west, looking to keep their winning ways going.
It’s another winnable game, but this early in the season, we’re still just figuring out who teams really are.
The Las Vegas Raiders haven’t been lighting up scoreboards, but they have plenty of big-play ability. And Ashton Jeanty hasn’t gotten going yet.
The Bears definitely want to be 2-2 at the bye and able to look ahead feeling a little better about themselves after the rough start to the season.
But what’s it going to take? Let’s ask our writers.
Sam: Block Maxx Crosby and shore up the run game. Ashton Jeanty is very good but hasn’t had a lot of clean running lanes yet. The Bears defense is giving up a lot of yards on the ground. For the offensive line, build on last week’s performance but it’s going to be much harder against Maxx Crosby.
Bryan: Protect Caleb on offense so he and Ben can keep the offense in rhythm and on schedule. On defense, push the pocket and rally around stud Ashton Jeanty. If we can avoid being the victim of his first breakout performance, we should outpace the Raiders. If not, a steady dose of ball-control offense is the perfect recipe when combined with an opportunistic defense. Keeping two guys on Crosby at all times will help.
Sarah: Get points on the board early, and set the tone early on both sides of the ball. We saw how huge of a factor momentum was last week, and especially being on the road this week, we need to use that momentum to our advantage. Defense needs to play hard and with effort like last week. OL needs to keep the pocket clean, and especially keep an eye on Crosby as he will be all over. If CW is protected and has a clean pocket, he will ball out again. Play complementary football!
Tom: Don’t let Geno get comfortable in the pocket. He’s an excellent passer with a set base, but is aging. The Bears need to keep him from finding Meyers, Bowers, and newly emerging Tre Tucker.
Jack R Salo: The Raiders offense is bottom-10 in the league in converting third downs, while the Bears defense is top-2 in third down stops. A big key will be getting off the field in critical situations. For the Bears on offense, this run game has to get going. The Raiders are not built to win shootouts, but I don’t think we’ll see another Cowboys game where the opponent turns it over at such a high rate. This should be a slugfest and D’Andre Swift vs Ashton Jeanty might decide it.
What do you think it will take for the Bears to beat the Raiders on Sunday?
