Oakland Raiders Week 5 X-Factors against the Chicago Bears
By Matt Holder
The Oakland Raiders week five contest against the Chicago Bears is a significant challenge for the “home” team. The following Raiders x-factors must perform well if the team is going to be successful on Sunday.
September and the first quarter of the season are in the books, and the Oakland Raiders begin October tied for second place in the AFC West with a 2-2 record. This week, the team travels across the pond to London, and will square off against the Chicago Bears. After dropping the season opener, the Bears are riding three game winning streak heading into this matchup.
Some of the best defenses in NFL history belong to Chicago, and the 2019 defense will probably go down as another prolific unit for the organization. The good news is the team that has seen the most success against the Bears defense is the Washington Redskins, so hopefully the Gruden brothers can share notes on how to attack this unit. The bad news is Washington still only managed to put up 15 points.
In four games Chicago has allowed 45 points, as the team gives up the second fewest points per game in the league. Obviously, the Windy City presents a difficult problem for the Silver and Black’s offense.
Working in the Raiders favor, the Bears offense is almost completely different story, as the group scores the fourth fewest points per game (16.5). Also, starting quarterback Mitchell Trubisky is injured, however, the starter’s impact is highly questionable given the team’s scoring woes.
Given the adversity and lack of success surrounding Chicago’s offense, Oakland should at least be able to keep the game close.
For the Silver and black, the difference between close and heading back to the states above the .500 mark will likely be the performance of the following players.