Oakland Raiders: Keys to Victory over the Chicago Bears
By Austin Gayle
Sep 27, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Continue to Successfully Protect Derek Carr
Although much of their success has been accredited to skill players like Amari Cooper and Latavius Murray, the fact of the matter is that Oakland’s offense is truly winning in the trenches.
According to NFL.com, the Oakland Raiders offensive line has allowed just three sacks, two of which coming against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1. Since then, Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has been sacked just once and hit only six times in two games.
Co-owner of RaiderBeat.com Steve Corkran recently mentioned via Twitter the several offensive linemen that have had a great deal of success for Oakland through the first three weeks.
#Raiders left guard Gabe Jackson owns top overall grade for all guards in the league, as well as top run-blocking grade, according to PFF.
— Steve Corkran (@CorkOnTheNFL) October 1, 2015
#Raiders left offensive tackle Donald Penn has the best pass-blocking grade in the league for his position, according to ProFootbalFocus.
— Steve Corkran (@CorkOnTheNFL) October 1, 2015
#Raiders center Rodney Hudson is second among centers in the league in pass-blocking grades, according to ProFootbalFocus.
— Steve Corkran (@CorkOnTheNFL) October 1, 2015
Given the strong amount of production Oakland’s offensive line has had, it’s easy to say that the Raiders have the apparent edge against a Chicago defense that has had just four sacks on the season, but there are still several Bears players that could make an impact along that defensive line.
With the recent trade of Jared Allen to the Carolina Panthers, some might believe that the Bears’ pass-rush will only get worse moving forward, but outside linebackers Pernell McPhee and Lamaar Houston are still more than capable of getting the quarterback. McPhee has already garnered two sacks on the season and can sometimes look unblockable coming off the edge, while Houston should look to prove he is still suited for the job against his former team.
Another Bears pass-rusher that could cause some problems from the interior defensive line position is fifth-year defensive tackle Jarvis Jenkins, as he earned two sacks in last week’s game against Seattle.
Four-time Pro-Bowler Jeremiah Ratliff is also coming back from a three-game suspension, and although he is officially listed as questionable with an ankle injury, Chicago Sun-Times writer Adam J. Lahns believes that Ratliff will likely play on Sunday. The 11-year veteran has 35 career sacks.
Whether or not Oakland’s can continue to prove that they are among the most talented in the league will likely dictate the results of the game, for constant pressure on Carr will significantly hurt his ability to make accurate throws given his inconsistency with accuracy early in the season.