Raiders hope to keep season hopes in good health against Bears

Sitting at 1-2 after three games, the Las Vegas Raiders are in desperate need of a win to get themselves back on track.

On Sunday, they have the chance to accomplish exactly that when they take on the Chicago Bears at Allegiant Stadium.

The Bears are also starting off 1-2, but they are coming off a win in their last game over the Dallas Cowboys. With momentum currently on the visitors’ side, the Raiders are going to have to pull out all the stops to come away with the victory.

Here are some of the major storylines to pay attention to in what has become a pivotal early-season game for the Raiders.

Time to shine

If there was ever a time for running back Ashton Jeanty to put together his first big game as a pro, this is the time to do it.

The Raiders have faced a gauntlet of top-ten run defenses so far this season, but the Bears rank just outside the bottom five in that category. The team has committed to keeping Jeanty involved in the offense, so something has to give in this game. For the Raiders to win and claw back to .500 on the season, Jeanty is going to need to prove why he deserved the sixth overall pick.

Get it together

Needless to say, the previous game against the Washington Commanders left a sour taste in the mouths of the Raiders defense.

The team gave up chunk play after chunk play, and it lead to a moment of frustration from Maxx Crosby towards the end of the game. The Raiders cannot allow the game to slip so far out of their control again, so they will be doing everything in their power to keep the Bears offense from exploding. With Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and head coach Ben Johnson seeming to be on the same page, however, that could prove to be a challenge.

Putting the pressure on

The key for the Raiders defense to slow Williams’s momentum is to get in the backfield and in his face with regularity.

Crosby will lead the charge on that front, but the likes of Tyree Wilson, Malcolm Koonce, Jonah Laulu and Thomas Booker IV are all expected to contribute. The Raiders did get some news earlier this week that makes this task easier, as Bears starting right tackle Darnell Wright is confirmed out. Williams has struggled in the past when defenses apply pressure, so getting to the quarterback and disrupting the timing of the offense could go a long way towards sealing a Raiders win.