After an embarrassing loss on the road last week, the Las Vegas Raiders look to get back on track at Allegiant Stadium against the Chicago Bears in Week 4. To preview the matchup, Silver and Black Pride
reached out to our friends at Windy City Gridiron, and Bill Zimmerman was kind enough to answer a few questions about the Bears for Raider Nation.
Q: How has Caleb Williams picked up Ben Johnson’s offense? What was the difference between Williams’ performance last week and in the first two games of the season?
A: I’ll be honest, I was alarmed by what I saw in Week 1 from Caleb Williams. He looked frantic in the pocket, the deep ball accuracy was awful, and he was missing open receivers downfield. Week 2, it looked better, and Week 3 was arguably the best game of Caleb Williams’ career.
What has improved? Many things. First, Williams is taking significantly fewer sacks. Yes, the line is improved, but he’s not holding onto the ball as long, and he’s reading blitzes better and utilizing the hot route when he needs it. He certainly is more poised in the pocket, and he’s certainly operating the offense better overall.
Now, to be fair, everybody, including Russell Wilson, has lit up the Dallas Cowboys’ defense. The only way the Cowboys’ defense has stopped anybody was thanks to a weather delay in week one; other than that, every team they have faced has had its way with them.
So, while it was great to see Ben Johnson’s offense look like we all wanted it to with Caleb under center, we need to see it more consistently moving forward and look better against better defenses.
Q: Chicago completely reset its interior offensive line this offseason, replacing both guards and the center. What have the early returns been in the trenches?
A: The early returns have been outstanding. I’m not saying Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, and Jonah Jackson have been perfect; they haven’t, they’ve made mistakes, but it’s been greatly improved. What’s also nice is that the line has improved each week as they get more snaps together. Jackson has been the least consistent of the three, but he’s still better than anything they had in the interior last year. Dalman has looked solid, and as someone who loves watching line play, Joe Thuney is like watching Monet paint. He’s so good in the passing game and such an asset in the run game as well.
The bigger questions right now are out at tackles. Darnell Wright has been excellent, but he’s currently banged up, and we will have to monitor his injury heading into Sunday. Braxton Jones looked a little better on Sunday, but he has been struggling to perform for the entire game so far this season. With Maxx Crosby on the outside, the tackle play will certainly need to be something to watch on Sunday.
Q: The Bears’ secondary has been missing two key pieces to begin the year: No. 1 corner Jaylon Johnson and nickelback Kyler Gordon. Who has been stepping up to replace them so far? And while Johnson is on injured reserve, what’s the likelihood that Gordon returns to the lineup this Sunday?
A: The secondary has certainly been an issue without Johnson and Gordon. Bears fans are certainly hoping Gordon can return on Sunday. He did share a photo of himself with a loading bar below on social media, which got fans hopeful that he could return this week, but he was still listed as a DNP on Wednesday’s practice.
If Gordon can return, it would be a huge boost for a secondary that has certainly struggled without him. Veteran Nick McCloud has been playing for Gordon. He isn’t awful, but he certainly isn’t a difference maker.
On the outside, it’s been Nashon Wright who has had a great camp but has been spotty in coverage. He did have a pick-six in week one against Minnesota, but he doesn’t consistently cover tightly. The secondary is certainly vulnerable right now, and Geno Smith could take advantage of it if he plays well.
Q: Most people know about Montez Sweat by now, but who supplements Sweat on the Bears’ defensive line? Or is at least expected to?
The Bears’ pass rush hasn’t exactly been dominant this year. Montez Sweat is certainly the team’s best pass rusher. But they haven’t found a lot of support around him. Dayo Odeyingbo is the team’s other starting edge and isn’t a dynamic pass rusher. The rotational guys behind them don’t offer much either.
On the interior, Grady Jarrett hasn’t been the same guy he was in Atlanta, but he’s been dealing with a knee issue. The guy that’s been getting the most pressure is third-year defensive tackle Gervon Dexter. He had a strong game in week one and week three. If the Bears get consistent pressure against Las Vegas, it will most likely be because Dexter and Sweat both have good games.
Q: Can you give us one “under-the-radar” player on each side of the ball for Chicago who you think will have a significant impact on this game?
A: On the offensive side of the ball, I’ll give you Olamide Zaccheaus. He’s been the Bears’ WR3 for this season, but Luther Burden definitely started taking some snaps from him last week. Zaccheaus is a coach’s (and QB’s) best friend. He gets open underneath and is a nice safety valve for Caleb Williams. It wouldn’t shock me if Zaccheaus gets the Bears a critical first down or scores a touchdown in this game, despite the guys like DJ Moore and Rome Odunze getting a lot more headlines.
On the defensive side of the ball, I probably would have given you Gervon Dexter, but since we already talked about him, let’s go with safety Jaquan Brisker. Brisker missed most of last season with a concussion, but when he’s on the field, he does a really nice job making plays, especially in the run game. Kyler Gordon is the type of Swiss Army Knife that can make plays on blitzes and in the run game, but if it’s not Gordon (or if he doesn’t play), Brisker is a guy to watch.
