The Las Vegas Raiders entered the 2025 NFL season with high expectations for their offense, and a mere hope that the defense could play well enough to keep them in games. Through the first three weeks, however, the opposite has largely been true.
Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and his unit have been derailed by poor offensive line play, which has simultaneously made life hard on quarterback Geno Smith and provided no benefit for rookie running back Ashton Jeanty.
While those issues are not necessarily going away in Week 4 against the Chicago Bears, their opponent has no shortage of weaknesses on defense. In fact, Kelly and the offense have a glaring advantage that they absolutely cannot afford to waste.
Chip Kelly must fully utilize Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers vs. Bears
Las Vegas' star tight end, Brock Bowers, has been largely limited this season due to a knee injury he sustained in Week 1 against the New England Patriots. Despite not missing any games, this week, he finally practiced in a full capacity for the first time since before the season opener.
Bowers and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers should be the focal points of the Raiders' passing attack, and they have an incredibly favorable matchup against the Bears. Kelly needs to exploit this and have Smith get the ball out quickly to mitigate the offensive line issues and get the group rolling underneath.
Chicago's starting slot cornerback, Nick McCloud, has not exactly been a showstopper so far this season. In three games, he has given up 10 catches on 12 targets for 148 yards and two touchdowns en route to a brutal 49.0 Pro Football Focus grade.
RELATED: Raiders bring in familiar face for workout after defensive struggles
Amon-Ra St. Brown absolutely torched McCloud in Week 2, and he didn't perform much better in Week 3. Meyers should have his way with McCloud in the slot at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, just like Bowers should with the Bears' linebacker corps.
Not only is starter T.J. Edwards out for Week 4 due to a hamstring injury, but the rest of the unit has either struggled in pass coverage or is inexperienced. Tremaine Edmunds, for example, has given up 15 catches on 17 targets for 108 yards this season.
Edmunds does have two interceptions, but one was thrown right to him, and the other was caught off a bobbled pass by a receiver. Noah Sewell has also struggled for Chicago, as opposing quarterbacks are 11-for-11 for 79 yards and a touchdown when targeting him in 2025.
Rounding out the group is Ruben Hyppolite II, a fourth-round rookie with exactly 18 NFL snaps under his belt and only five spent in pass coverage. If Kelly can unlock Bowers and Meyers in these lopsided matchups, then it could flip Week 4 on its head and garner serious momentum for the rest of the year.