Oakland Raiders: Five thoughts on the win over Cleveland

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Sep 27, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks middle linebacker Bobby Wagner (54) hits Chicago Bears quarterback Jimmy Clausen (8) after a pass during the second quarter at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

5. Looking Ahead

Next week the Raiders go on the road again, this time in Chicago, against the Bears. This might be the most winnable road game, perhaps the most winnable game period, on the entire schedule and the Raiders have to win this game. I had the pleasure of seeing the Bears-Seahawks matchup after the conclusion of the Raiders game and as a Raider fan I liked what I saw.

If the Bears are forced to start Jimmy Clausen again next week, which remains to be seen, the Raiders secondary may get a break, especially if Alshon Jeffery is still hurt. Clausen is a lousy quarterback, perhaps one of the worst backups in the league, and while that may not mean too much against the Raiders lousy secondary, it certainly helps. The Bears also couldn’t get much going on the ground, with poor offensive line play, and Matt Forte is starting to look past his prime. Punting on every possession is a sign that an offense is easy to stop, and even if the Seahawks defense is a notch above the Raiders this should be a matchup that favors Oakland in every phase of the game next Sunday at Soldier Field.

If the Raiders can beat the Bears and pull off two road wins in a row, going to 3-1 after four weeks, it’s going to give this team some real momentum going into their first division game, at home against the Broncos. With this offense clicking and the defensive front finally finding its way, this team has a real shot to make some noise against the presumptive “best team in the AFC West.” That can only happen with a win over the bears, but with the Raiders playing their best football in years to start 2015 fans have a reason to raise their expectations ever so slightly after three weeks of play.

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