Oakland Raiders Week 5 X-Factors against the Chicago Bears
By Matt Holder
Defense
Nicholas Morrow
The last couple of weeks have devastated the Raiders linebackers. With such a thin group, the team will be counting on the division three product to take on a larger role. Sunday’s matchup is going to be a good indication if Morrow can answer the call.
With second-string quarterback Chase Daniel under center, expect Matt Nagy’s game plan (Chicago’s head coach and play caller) to include a lot of screen and short passes. Below is Daniel’s passing chart from last week.
The quarterback only attempted five passes of 10 yards or more, and it looks like two of those were thrown about 11 or 12 yards in the air.
An effective short passing game can be a headache for linebackers, and a unique weapon like Tarik Cohen turns that headache into a migraine. In 2018, the All-Pro averaged just under eight yards per target which ranked fourth among running backs (minimum 25 targets). Out of all the linebackers left standing, Morrow is the most effective in coverage, so expect him to shadow Cohen just about all game.