The Raiders haven’t done much competing lately. First, they got smacked on Monday Night Football against the Chargers. The offense couldn’t find the end zone. They were dominated by a Chargers team that played without Khalil Mack (for the first half). The Chargers looked like a contender.
Everything got worse six days later: the Commanders (or whatever you call them) ran the Raiders out of the building. The worst part is, former Raiders backup Marcus Mariota carved up the defense. Meanwhile, ex‑Boise State running back Jeremy McNichols gashed the Raiders for a big run. Overall, the team was dominated by some “practice squad” type players.
So far, all the blame has fallen on offensive coordinator Chip Kelly (Las Vegas Raiders). People are making jokes because he hasn’t used Ashton Jeanty in the past game. Others point to the offensive line. Media keep asking about Jackson, who is playing guard. (Everybody cites that he won the “best center in college” war, but Vegas likes his bigger body at guard.) Raiders fans are making quarterback jokes about Geno Smith — but it was all good just two weeks ago.
Now the Raiders are tasked with a “get‑back” game at home versus the Bears. Chicago reworked their roster in the offseason, particularly at skill positions and along the offensive line. Caleb Williams has looked a lot better in Year Two compared to Year One. The Bears still have their low moments, though — their defense has been up and down. The Raiders should find opportunities to push the ball downfield.
Of course, the Raiders haven’t beaten the Bears since they were in Oakland (in 2019). The Bears have beaten the Raiders the past two matchups.
On defense, overall the Raiders have been decent. They haven’t put themselves in too many bad spots. There have been growing pains with a new unit, but they’ve looked more physical than past Raiders defenses. They’ve been finding ways to force turnovers and get stops. The team is swarming to the ball for the most part.
Up front, the Raiders haven’t been good enough lately. In the past two weeks they allowed too many sacks. All season, they’ve permitted too much contact on the edge. Last week, Tre Tucker blowing up people’s fantasy lineups was the lone bright spot.
As for the pass rush, it’s been reduced to what we’ve often seen: underwhelming. In the Commanders game, Maxx Crosby was the only player to record a sack. Against the Bolts, Jonah Laulu had two sacks. The Raiders must find ways to generate pressure from multiple players. You can’t rely on just one guy — Crosby is great at improvising, but you need more.
They recovered a fumble in each of the last two games; however, they haven’t produced any interceptions. The talk of training camp was about the Raiders’ defense. We all expect more. The secondary will be tested with DJ Moore and Rome Odunze at receiver for Chicago.
Offensively, expect more of the same. Jeanty, Meyers, and Bowers will set the tone, with sprinkles of Tucker. Can we also get some Déonté Thornton?
At the end of the day, the Raiders just need to win. Protect the home field and get back to .500.
Chatgpt edited this voice transcription.
