Bears tight end Cole Kmet
Jacob Funk/Chicago Bears Bears tight end Cole Kmet
The Bears (1-5) host the Las Vegas Raiders (3-3) on Sunday at Soldier Field.
Here are three things that should increase their chances of winning:
(1) Defended like last weekend against the Vikings.
The Bears defense had its best game of the season against Minnesota, allowing the fewest touchdowns (1), first downs (12), total yards (220) and passing yards (174) on the year, while still going just 2 -el- 13. third down. – converts down. A similar effort Sunday would be a huge boost, especially with the Bears’ undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent making his first NFL start behind an offensive line that is missing several starters due to injury.
One area where the defense can improve is creating more turnovers. The unit had just one field goal against the Vikings, who entered last Sunday with an NFL-high 12 turnovers. The Raiders committed 11 turnovers, second most behind Minnesota, and at least one in each of their six games.
Like the Bruins, Las Vegas will start a backup quarterback in either Brian Hoyer or Aiden O’Connell. The Raiders have ruled Jimmy Garoppolo out with a back injury but have not announced who will replace the Arlington Heights native.
Hoyer, a 15-year NFL veteran, has lost 12 straight starts, most recently in October. 2, 2016, as he led the Bears to a 17-14 victory over the Lions at Soldier Field. O’Connell is a fourth-round draft pick out of Purdue who grew up in the Chicago area and attended Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire. O’Connell started in place of the injured Garoppolo in Week 4 and completed 24 of 39 passes for 238 yards. He threw one interception, was sacked seven times and lost two of three tackles.
The Raiders won two straight after starting 1-3. Last Sunday, they tied the Patriots’ season high in a 21-17 victory.
Las Vegas’ passing game features six-time Pro Bowler Davante Adams, one of four receivers in NFL history with at least 1,000 receiving yards and 10 receptions against the Bruins. The others are Hall of Famers Calvin Johnson, Randy Moss and Don Hutson.
Adams, who had 33 carries in back-to-back losses to the Steelers and Chargers, had just nine carries in the Raiders’ last two games. He caught just six passes for 74 yards over the Packers and Patriots.
“When Davante is on the court, we expect a big dose of him,” coach Matt Eberflus said. “He’s one of the best receivers in the NFL and he has been. He’s a great athlete, a great competitor, he’s a great technician. He has a very good ability to take guys off the line to get down the field and he has a very good start and end on his for size versus big arm strength.Ability to stay open. He’s a guy you have to work with during the week and during the game.”
(2) Be effective in the passing game.
After filling in for the injured Justin Fields last Sunday against the Vikings, Bagent showed poise and skill that helped him first earn a roster spot and then move up to second on the depth chart. After getting the ball out of his hands quickly, he completed 10 of 14 passes for 83 yards.
The Bruins will be hoping for more of the same from Bagendi while also eliminating the fumbles against the Vikings that led to a fumble that was returned for a touchdown and a game-tying touchdown.
“If we just get the offense going and put the ball in the right spot, it’s going to be a good day,” Eberflus said. “That’s what he has to do and he’s done a good job of it all week. He’s got confidence. He’s got composure and he’s had a good week of practice. So get it done on Sunday.”
Bagent showed a strong work ethic as he prepared for his first NFL start this week. But it’s the same approach he’s used since arriving at Halas Hall. “He was like that,” Eberflus said. “I’m always behind the offense and when the play comes up — when Justin is the starter — I always ask [Bagent] afterward, ‘OK, tell me about the play.’
“That’s what I was talking about, I can take a lot of information and present it in a simple form so he can operate there. He’s been doing that since day one. I asked him two or three times during each episode and he was always there.
Bagent becomes just the third undrafted quarterback to start an NFL game in the first seven weeks of a season since 1992. The others were Max Hall of the Cardinals in 2010 and Devlin Hodges of the Steelers in 2019.
Interestingly, the Raiders have lost their last three games against starting quarterbacks, going down to Fields in 2021 and the 49ers’ Brock Purdy and the Steelers’ Kenny Pickett in 2022.
3) Features Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby.
The fifth-year pro is one of the most underrated players in the NFL, but the Bears certainly know his game-breaking ability. Defensive line coach Travis Smith served as the Raiders’ assistant defensive line coach in Crosby’s first three seasons from 2019 to 2021, recording 25.0 sacks during that span.
“I guarantee that if everyone plays him, he will get attention for his efforts,” Eberflus said. “That’s the thing that jumps out [on his tape]. He’s obviously a great athlete and he’s got great flexibility, he can stay alive in the play. But just effort. Travis had him. Coach Rod [Marinelli] got him. He is a great teammate. He is one of the hardest workers I have ever heard in practice. This is what you are
