Three keys to a Chicago Bears upset over the Raiders
By Ryan Olson
How could the Chicago Bears pull off an upset in Las Vegas as they face a surprisingly good Raiders team? The Raiders have surpassed all expectations most placed on them in the offseason after ripping off a three-game win streak to start the season.
The Bears are rolling into Week 5 of the 2021 NFL season with high hopes after naming Justin Fields the starter going forward. They go into the cross-conference matchup at 2-2 which is good for second in the NFC North, only behind the Packers.
The Chicago Bears have a chance to put themselves in a very good spot if they could find a way to leave Sunday with a win. A win would keep them a game above Minnesota, assuming they beat the Lions, and within a game of Green Bay, assuming they beat the Bengals, to set up a one-game, winner takes all matchup, to determine the leader of the NFC North through six weeks of the young season.
The Chicago Bears must come out of the gates firing
If the Chicago Bears would like to come out with a win Sunday, it has to be a focal point to get on the board early. By “coming out of the gates firing” I mean that I would like to see them attack the Raiders through the air, as opposed to running the ball, just to run the ball.
In Week 4 it felt like Bill Lazor ran the ball on early-down situations just for the sake of running the ball. This will not work against a stellar Raiders team. Especially since Chicago will be without star running back David Montgomery. Matt Nagy and Bill Lazor must find a way to be closer to a 50/50 split in the run/pass game.