Chicago Bears: 5 Thoughts on big victory over Las Vegas Raiders
The Chicago Bears went to Las Vegas and dominated the Raiders on their way to a huge road win.
Outside of many of the die-hard fans, not many people gave the Chicago Bears any hope of having even a decent season in 2021. There were too many holes on the roster they said. The offense will still struggle to move the ball. Also, the defense is aging and will continue to regress. Some so-called “experts” didn’t think Chicago would win more than three games.
Yet here we are, the Bears standing in second place in the NFC North, owning a 3-2 record. Not only did some people doubt before the season that they’d be where they are not many felt that just two weeks ago when the Cleveland Browns throttled quarterback Justin Fields with nine sacks and holding the Bears to just one passing yard and 47 total yards of offense. Add that to the beating the defense took in Week 1 against the Los Angeles Rams and things looked bleak for the Bears.
Somehow, though, the Chicago Bears are fighting their way back to respectability. Yes, the offense still needs some work, but the unit is contributing to wins now. Before, the defense just carried the offense, needing to score themselves to get a win. Now, the offense is actually doing its part to seal their wins. It’s still scary to watch, but the way they’re going they could improve even more.
The improvement came together in Week 5. They faced the 3-1 Las Vegas Raiders on the road. The Raiders had Derek Carr, who was the second-leading pass thrower in the league. With the deficiencies in the secondary, the prevailing thought was that he would scorch that unit.
Instead, the Bears ran out an early lead and were able to hold on for a 20-9 upset victory. The win could be a season-changer for Chicago. They beat the Detroit Lions in Week 4, but that was the winless Lions. The Raiders are a playoff-contending team. Doing something nearly all NFL analysts said they couldn’t is a big shot in the arm. They could soar from this.
Of course, that feeling will be tested next week when the Bears host the hated Green Bay Packers. For now, though, here are five thoughts on Chicago’s victory over the Raiders.