Oakland Raiders: 4 Bold predictions vs. Bears, Week 5
By Steve Rivera
3. Defense reigns in London
Don’t expect a lot of points in London. The combination of a backup quarterback for one team and a Super Bowl-caliber defense for the other will likely result in a game that sees little offensive production.
The Raiders can and will move the ball. However, Derek Carr finding the end zone with any regularity probably won’t happen. Chicago will get a lot of hits on him, and it’ll show. While Carr will be able to get the ball in the air, opportunities for touchdowns will be limited.
The same will apply to Daniels, but for different reasons. The loss of Burfict will also be noticeable. That said, the Raiders will benefit from facing a quarterback who is limited by not being on the field often enough to have an established rhythm. This is a game tailormade for special teams play and a heavy emphasis on field goal kicking.
If Burfict were available for this game, it could have been an all-time classic kind of defensive matchup. Both he and Khalil Mack would have been able to showcase a style of football not seen in today’s high scoring type of game. Still, the Raiders will have enough when facing a career backup quarterback to find success.
The bottom line, touchdowns will be few and far between, making this a closer game than fans might expect.