Las Vegas Raiders vs. Chicago Bears preview: Who has the advantage in Week 5?

The 3-1 Raiders will host the 2-2 Chicago Bears on Sunday in a big game for both teams. The Raiders are looking to bounce back from a tough defeat on Monday Night Football against the Chargers, while the Bears are looking to win their second consecutive game.

To get you ready for this game, we spoke with Alyssa Barbieri of the Bears Wire to discuss the biggest matchups and advantages each team will have in this game. So without further ado, let’s dive in!

Quarterback play

Sep 19, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr exits the tunnel before playing against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

Raiders Wire: Derek Carr led the NFL in passing heading into Week 5 (Matthew Stafford has since surpassed him) and he is playing the best football of his career. Carr is a much more aggressive passer than in years past, throwing the ball down the field with more regularity and consistency.

On top of that, he’s been the league’s most efficient third-down passer, averaging over 12 yards per attempt. While the ceiling is high for Justin Fields with the Bears, Carr is just the better player at this stage in his career.

Bears Wire: Justin Fields has finally been declared QB1 for the Bears, and he’ll face another challenge on the road against the Raiders. We finally got a glimpse of what Fields can do when given a solid game plan with a play caller that knows how to put him in advantageous situations.

While Fields’ stat line was nothing to write home about – 11-of-17 for 209 yards and an interception – the eye test told a different story. Fields was able to open up the downfield passing attack with some beautiful deep balls that Bears fans haven’t seen in a long time, finally getting Allen Robinson and Darnell Mooney involved.

Fields has progressed in every game he’s played this season, and that’s the expectation heading into a tough test against Las Vegas.

Advantage: Raiders

Line of scrimmage

Sep 13, 2021; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders center Andre James (68) controls the snap against the Baltimore Ravens during the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Raiders Wire: The offensive line was always going to be a weakness for the Raiders going into the season. The team traded away three starters and were expecting first-round pick Alex Leatherwood to make a big impact in Year 1. Instead, he has really struggled and the belief is that he will move to right guard in Week 5.

The defensive line, however, has been a really bright spot for Las Vegas. Maxx Crosby leads the NFL in pressures and Yannick Ngakoue has been exactly what they’ve hoped for when they signed him early this offseason. Keep an eye on Darius Philon, who recorded two sacks last week against the Chargers. He gives them another disruptive interior rusher.

Bears Wire: Chicago’s defensive front has been impressive this season, led by Akiem Hicks, Bilal Nichols and the return of Eddie Goldman, along with edge rushers Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn. The Bears’ pass rush has been the best in the NFL with a league-best 15 sacks, including 8.5 by Mack and Quinn. With questions on the offensive line for the Raiders, Chicago has a chance to get after Derek Carr.

While the Bears’ offensive line has been one of the biggest concerns this season, they’re coming off an impressive outing against the Lions, where Fields was only sacked once – and it wasn’t on the O-line. But they’ll face a big challenge against this Raiders defensive front, especially tackles Jason Peters and Germain Ifedi, who will battle the likes of Maxx Crosby and Yannick Ngakoue.

Advantage: Push

Turnovers

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 26: Defensive end Maxx Crosby #98 of the Las Vegas Raiders is introduced before a game against the Miami Dolphins at Allegiant Stadium on September 26, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Raiders defeated the Dolphins 31-28 in overtime. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Raiders Wire: The Raiders have done an excellent job of taking care of the football this season as they have just three turnovers in four games. One of their turnovers came late in Week 4 when the Raiders were down double-digits with nearly no time left in the game.

However, the defense has only generated three turnovers. That’s an area they have to improve if they want to compete with the best teams in the AFC.

Bears Wire: Protecting the football and taking the ball away has been an emphasis for the Bears this season, and they’ve done a good job of doing that through the first four games. The Bears have a +2 turnover differential through the first quarter, where they have 6 takeaways and have turned the ball over 4 times

. Last week against the Lions, Chicago added two more takeaways to the takeaway bucket – both fumble recoveries. While Fields tossed an interception, it was tipped at the line. The Bears have done a good job of balancing the impact of takeaways and turnovers so far this season, and they’ll need to keep that up if they hope to upset the Raiders.

Advantage: Bears

Situational

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 26: Head coach Jon Gruden of the Las Vegas Raiders smiles during a game against the Miami Dolphins at Allegiant Stadium on September 26, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Raiders defeated the Dolphins 31-28 in overtime. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Raiders Wire: Jon Gruden has become a more aggressive coach in the last few years, but his clock management skills and fourth-down play calls have been less than ideal. He has yet to find the right balance of being aggressive, but smart. Too often, his team will settle for short field goals rather than trying to score touchdowns inside the 10-yard line.

If this game gets close, there is no telling how Gruden might handle certain situations. It’s also worth mentioning that the Raiders have been a very slow starting team this season, which could be the case again this week after playing on Monday Night Football for the second time this season.

Bears Wire: The Bears’ offense has been brutal through the first four games, especially in the red zone. They rank 25th in red zone efficiency, where they’ve scored on 54.55% of their trips inside the red zone. They’ve also struggled on later downs, including third down, where they’ve converted on just 28.89%, the worst in the NFL. Fourth down hasn’t been much. Better, as they’re 28th in the league with a 14.29% conversion rate.

On defense, they’ve struggled getting off the field on third down, where they’re allowing offenses to covert 46.15% of the time (26th in the NFL). On fourth-down conversions, the Bears defense ranks 13th, and they had a few impressive fourth-down stops in last week’s win. They’ve been stingier in the red zone, where they’ve been the fifth-best defense allowing touchdowns on just 35.71% of trips.

Advantage: Raiders

Injuries

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 26: Trayvon Mullen Jr. #27 of the Las Vegas Raiders celebrates an incomplete pass during overtime in the game against the Miami Dolphins at Allegiant Stadium on September 26, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Raiders Wire: The Raiders are very banged up on defense as they will be without two of their top cornerbacks in Trayvon Mullen and Damon Arnette. Both players suffered injuries against the Chargers and could be without multiple weeks. The offense is fairly healthy with the only notable injury being third-string tight end Derek Carrier. Even Josh Jacobs had a full week of practice and isn’t listed on the injury report going into this matchup.

Bears Wire: Edge rusher Khalil Mack was always going to do whatever it took to face his former team. And despite missing practice on Wednesday and Thursday, Mack was limited and ruled questionable for Sunday’s game. But with Mack being named a captain, it’s a safe bet to assume the Bears will have their prized edge rusher against the Raiders.

It wasn’t good news for defensive tackle Akiem Hicks, who missed practice all week with a groin injury suffered on his first play against the Lions last week. Hicks has been ruled doubtful, and Chicago will be without a key piece of their defensive line.

Running back David Montgomery has a knee sprain and is sidelined for 4-5 weeks, but his replacement Damien Williams was a full participant all week in practice and will assume the workhorse load, with some help from rookie Khalil Herbert.

Advantage: Push

Verdict: Advantage Raiders

Oct 4, 2021; Inglewood, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Jon Gruden talks with quarterback Derek Carr (4) during the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

The Raiders should win this game, especially with the Bears having a rookie quarterback under center. However, the offense needs to get off to a quicker start to prevent falling behind by multiple scores.

Keep an eye out on the secondary for the Raiders as they will be without two of their top defensive backs. If Justin Fields takes shots down the field, he might have some success. That is one of the only ways the Raiders can lose this game.

Expect this game to be close, but for the Raiders to ultimately win and improve to 4-1.

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