Chicago Bears @ Las Vegas Raiders – Week 4 Game Preview: Overview, Keys to Game, Insights
The Bears (1-2) finally got into the win column in Week 3 when they pounded the Cowboys at home 31-14. Quarterback Caleb Williams had the best game of his young career throwing for four touchdown passes and it was a massive all-around improvement from their blowout loss in Detroit the week before. Now Chicago heads back out on the road for a matchup with a new look Raiders team.
Las Vegas (1-2) began the year with a victory in New England but the last two weeks have not gone well with losses against the Chargers and the Commanders. Legendary coach Pete Carroll and veteran quarterback Geno Smith came over in the off-season after a difficult 2024 hoping to spark a turnaround.
Smith has struggled out of the gate with a 63% completion rating and four interceptions but he has the ability to put up numbers if he gets on a roll. The Raiders have high hopes for first round pick RB Ashton Jeanty who is also off to a slow start averaging just 48 yards per game through three weeks.
Tight end Brock Bowers is the most dangerous offensive player Vegas has, although, a minor knee injury has slowed him a bit. The offense has had much more luck passing the ball than on the ground so far and will look to exploit an injured Bears secondary.
Defensively, the Raiders are slightly below average giving up 24.7 points a game, which is in the bottom half of the league. Former Bear linebacker Khalil Mack injured his arm against Los Angeles and will not play in this game. Defensive end Maxx Crosby has the ability to wreck a game by himself and will definitely be a threat to Chicago’s makeshift offensive line.
This will be a test to see if Ben Johnson can get a more consistent performance out of his team than Matt Eberflus did. This is the kind of game the Bears have lost in recent years, it’s time to find out if anything has changed.
Where to Watch/Listen
- Sunday, September 28 at 3:25pm on CBS, WBBM Radio (English), and WRTO Radio (Spanish).
Keys to Victory
Here are my keys to Sunday’s game. If these things happen, the Bears should have a shot to win.
- Take advantage of Smith’s mistakes. The Raiders quarterback will make risky decisions during the game and some of them will pay off, but the Bears have to jump on the ones that don’t and create turnovers.
- Pass the ball early to open up the run. Chicago had some success running the ball late in the game against Dallas after putting up big passing numbers in the first half. Johnson was excellent as offensive coordinator in Detroit throwing the ball out of the gate to eventually create running lanes.
- Don’t let Bowers beat you. The big Vegas tight end can do major damage if you don’t focus on him so he should be a priority.
Don’t Tell Me the Odds
The Raiders are favored by 1.5 points at Allegiant Stadium against the Bears Sunday. The hometown Vegas oddsmakers expect a bit of a shootout with the over/under set at 48.5.
It’s Football Weather
Allegiant Stadium is indoors so weather won’t be a factor in this one.
My Prediction
It will be a high-scoring contest but I think the Bears will get a late turnover and pull out a 35-28 victory on the road to even their record.
Official NFL Preview
Here is the official preview of the Bears-Raiders game from the NFL.
