It may not be must-see TV for a lot of people in week 4, but the Oakland Raiders and Chicago Bears still hold a few intriguing subplots ahead of their showdown at Soldier Field. However, Del Rio and his staff would be wise to not underestimate John Fox’s Bears this week, or it could come back to bite them in a major way.
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With rebuilding seemingly a theme at Halas Hall these days, it was fitting that tight end Martellus Bennett used tools to describe quarterback Jay Cutler’s and receiver Alshon Jeffery’s return to practice. All were back at practice to start the week.
The defensive line for the Raiders is about to get a welcome boost to their rotation.
The rookie Oakland receiver is every bit as advertised. With that being said, the only way the Bears are going to get out of the hole they are now in is through the draft, so us fans have to hope Ryan Pace and the rest of the management start drafting well.
Thing could be the highlight match of the afternoon. It comes as no surprise that Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks toom care of business at home, getting into the win column with a resounding 26-0 shellacking. But if he’s slowed by his injury, a pass rush that showed life with five sacks Sunday against Cleveland – including two by Khalil Mack – could pose a problem. He guided the Bears to four TDs on 12 possessions, while replacement Jimmy Clausen has failed to produce any touchdowns on 19 drives.
Considering the Raiders produced a stinker in this year’s season opener – with Carr struggling before leaving the game with a hand injury – two straight strong performances have helped confirm the progress the Raiders thought they made entering this season. Much like in the season opener, Chicago was limited to 23 points, while the Cards put up a 48-spot on their way to a 25-point blowout. He has been the workhorse of the offense, their best producer so far this year. It should mean a tougher week for Latavius Murray. Do they expect to get a big compensatory pick from him? Derek Carr completed 20 of 32 passes for 314 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Raiders.
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Better to deal him to a contender who might need a running back – why not the Denver Broncos or Baltimore Ravens? The Bostic trade was more of an unproductive player looking for a new start as he was a second-round pick in 2013, who never quite reached his potential with the Bears.
