The Week 4 contest between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Chicago Bears feels like a turning point for both teams. Each club enters the game at 1-2, and ending September at 1-3 will make the playoffs feel like they’re quickly slipping away at the early stages of the season. So, the stakes are heightened for this week’s key matchups between the Raiders and Bears.
Devin White vs. Caleb Williams
Williams might be working through some struggles as a passer, but he’s still a threat to make plays with his legs. He’s currently tied for seventh among quarterbacks with 97 rushing yards and is averaging 6.1 yards per attempt. Additionally, the 2024 No. 1 overall pick has managed to force five missed tackles, third-most at the position per Pro Football Focus, and has four runs of 10 or more yards, tied for fourth.
Meanwhile, the Raiders are coming off a game where they allowed Marcus Mariota to run the ball six times for 40 yards (6.7 yards per rush) and a touchdown. A big reason for this was that the team’s linebackers, including White, struggled to account for the quarterback on read options. So, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Bears head coach and offensive play-caller Ben Johnson test Las Vegas’ defense by getting Williams involved in the running game.
Additionally, the second-year pro is known for his ability to scramble. That’s where the majority of his rushing attempts (nine of 16) and yards (79) have come. To counter, Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham will likely have White spy or blitz the quarterback, adding even more importance to this matchup.
To add more reason why Graham might dial up the pressure this week, Williams ranks 10th with a 75.4 PFF passing grade when he isn’t blitzed, but those numbers drop down to 25th and 58.8 when blitzed. Considering White is Las Vegas’ best off-ball pass-rusher, he and Williams should see each other often on Sunday.
Tre Tucker vs. Tyrique Stevenson
The Bears are short-handed in the secondary with top cornerback Jaylon Johnson currently on injured reserve. That has elevated Stevenson into the CB1 role, who has great ball skills but isn’t sticky in coverage. For example, he’s racked up 31 passes defended with six interceptions in 35 career games, but has also surrendered 1,565 yards and 14 touchdowns according to PFF.
So, Las Vegas should look to test the third-year pro, who almost exclusively lines up as an outside corner.
While Tucker typically isn’t the offense’s first or even second option in the passing game, tight end Brock Bowers isn’t 100 percent healthy and has only lined up on the perimeter for 12.8 percent of his pass snaps, per PFF, and Jakobi Meyers has been a slot receiver 64.8 percent of the time. In other words, Tucker is more likely to draw Stevenson in coverage than Bowers or Meyers.
Also, the 2023 third-round pick is coming off the best game of his career, logging eight catches for 145 yards and three touchdowns against the Washington Commanders. With one score in the season opener, that makes him tied for the NFL lead with four receiving touchdowns and the only Raider to catch a touchdown so far this season. Building on the latter, Tucker’s 211 receiving yards are only 17 yards behind Meyers for the team lead.
Given that both Stevenson and Tucker are capable of making explosive plays, this matchup has the potential to be game-changing.
Raiders’ IOL vs. Bears’ DTs
The focus here is on the running game, meaning this could be considered a battle of weaknesses. The Raiders have struggled to run the ball in their first three games, ranking 30th in team yards per carry, per Pro Football Reference. Meanwhile, the Bears have issues stopping the run, ranking 31st in yards allowed per carry.
Las Vegas’ interior offensive line has been the offense’s primary problem. Of the four linemen who have received playing time, center Jordan Meredith is the only one who has an above baseline (60) run-blocking grade from PFF. And Meredith barely crosses the threshold with a mark of 63.3, while Jackson Powers-Johnson is next at 54.8 in the one game he’s played in, Dylan Parham is third at 52.2, and Alex Cappa rounds out the group at 48.5.
Powers-Johnson might return to the starting lineup in place of Cappa this week, which should lead to some improvement. However, the entire group needs to step up moving forward to help give rookie running back Ashton Jeanty some breathing room.
Chicago has a similar issue with its interior defenders. Nose tackle Andrew Billings leads the group with a 57.8 PFF run defense grade, and free-agent addition Grady Jarrett isn’t the player he used to be, owning a 57.6 mark against the run. Additionally, Gervon Dexter Sr. and Chris Williams have provided some pass-rush support, but have posted 42.1 and 44.0 grades, respectively, as run defenders through three weeks.
Long story short, something has to give on Sunday.
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