Game Recap: Raiders v. Bears

If you caught the Raiders warm-up radio show, then you got a chance to hear a true leader speaking. CB Nnamdi Asomugha talked about how the Raiders receivers are now able to adjust and change their routes mid-route and about how the quarterback is able to make that read at the same time they make it. Nnamdi said that will be hard for defenses to adjust to this year.

When asked what he’s got to do to stay on top, Asomugha said, “When you hear people start talking about ‘he’s one of the best’ you don’t want to disappoint.” Asomugha said he is going to stay on top because he refuses to believe he is one of the best and that keeps him hungry. Asomugha would not play in the game, nor would his other half Chris Johnson, but nevertheless the passing defense looked really good in their absence.

Tom Cable is not going to be happy with Robert Gallery after this game, starting off with a holding penalty and a false start, costing his team 15-yards worth of penalties on the first drive. Fortunately, the Raiders were able to overcome the penalties with a nice screen where Michael Bush broke a tackle and ran for a big first down. The Raiders followed that up with another first down pass from Campbell to Johnnie Lee Higgins and then another first down on a hook-up from Campbell to Zach Miller. After a Michael Bush run for four yards, Campbell hit Louis Murphy who got to inside the five-yard line.

JT the Brick said, “The Raiders receivers just have so much speed, they are hard to cover one-on-one.”

The Raiders opened the game in Chicago with a touchdown off a QB sneak by Jason Campbell. The Raiders offense overcame obstacles and looked fluid, with a precision 10-play 81-yard drive to take a 7-0 lead after the Sebastian Janikowski extra point.

The Raiders defense then came in and did a number on the Bears offense. First was a run stuff by Rolando McClain. It was followed by a sack by the new and improved, 35-pounds lighter, Tommy Kelly, who switched positions and will now be playing the nose in the 4-3. Kelly’s sack was followed directly by another sack from new strong-side linebacker Kamerion Wimbley, who cost the Bears another 11 yards on top of Kelly’s nine. The Bears were forced to punt and the Raiders offense took over inside the Bears’ 40-yard line.

Michael Bush took a handoff on second down, after an incomplete pass on first down, and headed up the gut for 16-yards to take the ball inside theBears’ 25-yard line. This was the last time we would see Michael Bush on the field. That run was followed by another incompletion and a minus-one yard run by Rock Cartwright. Jason Campbell then missed TE Zach Miller on 3^rd down and 11 and the Raiders settled for a field goal to go up 10-0 early on the Chicago Bears starters.

The following Chicago drive, they picked up a first down on their first play, their first of the game. They followed it up with an eight yard run by Matt Forte, then a minus two-yard play on a run by Forte and then an incompletion with nice coverage by Stanford Route. The Bears were forced to punt again and on the punt Yamon Figurs, the Raiders returner, was run into and muffed the punt but he recovered the fumble. It was not kick catching interfenence because the referee’s said the player was blocked into the returner.

The Raiders offense lost Mario Henderson somehow (we’ll update this later) on their next drive and brought in rookie Jared Veldheer. Then the Bears lost Julius Peppers after a Veldheer block, this came as a dose of bad news for Bears’ fan after watching Brian Urlacher limp off the field earlier in the game. But Peppers later came into the game. Peppers would end the first half with five tackles and a sack/fumble.

The Raiders offense continued their presence picking up another long first down, but following that play, the Raiders threw an interception at the Bears’ five yard line that was returned to the Bears’ 11-yard line by Charles Tillman. Had the pass gone to the inside, it would’ve been an easy touchdown to Zach Miller, but for some odd reason Campbell threw it outside and just lobbed it up for an easy interception. On first down, Bears’ halfback Matt Forte went 89-yards for a touchdown as the old Raiders rush defense reared their ugly head and safety Michael Huff absolutely should have made the tackle but missed. But the struggling Bears special teams unit missed the extra point.

A nice kickoff return set the Raiders up in Bears’ territory after a personal foul horse-collar tackle by Bears’ back-up running back Garrett Wolfe. At this point in the game, Jason Campbell was 7-11 for 149 passing yards and the Bears’ passing offense was held to -20 yards. It was just the interception and one big run by Matt Forte that was keeping the Bears in the game. And that was how the first quarter ended.

The Bears’ defense held the Raiders to a three-and-out series and Shane Lechler was sent in to punt the ball. The Bears’ took over at their own 20 yard line. After a fast start, it appeared the Raiders were slowing down on offense. The Bears’ then hit a screen to Chester Taylor for five yards. QB Jay Cutler then missed a pass to Greg Olsen, butfollowed that witha big gainer to Devin Hester out to the Raiders 46-yard line. Then Devin Hester got another touch and took it sixteen yards against the run defense on a reverse. Cutler then ran for another first down. The tide was turning for the Raiders on offense and defense.

Kamerion Wimbley showed his coverage skills in the red zone, running down the field with TE Greg Olsen on a wheel route. Following a muffed snap that brought up a third down, the Raiders sent eight on a blitz forcing a quick throw and Cutler missed. The Bears’ brought on the field goal teambut they had a bad snap that forced kicker Robbie Gould to pick up a fumble and throw the ball away inciting boos from the Soldier Field crowd on hand. The score remained 10-6 Raiders. Following the turnover, all the Raiders offense could muster was another three-and-out series.

During the Bears’ next drive, Kamerion Wimbley got his second sack of the game from the defensive end position in the nickel package for the Raiders. It forced a Bears’ punt. After a hot 7-11 start, Jason Campbell missed his next five passes, but he did manage to convert another first down with his legs on a long third down. Rock Cartwright had a tough time keeping the ground game going, but Campbell found Louis Murphy over the middle for fourteen yards and another Raiders first down to the Chicago 25-yard line. Campbell missed a pass to Todd Watkins and then had one go through Louis Murphy’s hands at the Chicago 11-yard line. Janikowski then hit his second field goal to give the Raiders a 13-6 lead with the second quarter clock winding down to 4:24.

Cutler came back in after the Bears’ kickoff return. His stats were not great, 3-8 for 36 yards with both of the Raiders starting cornerbacks not playing a single snap on the night. Cutler then missed another pass, but he did manage to get his fourth completion on a short pass after a blitz on which Kamerion Wimbley made the tackle short of the first down.

“With the exception of one play, the Oakland Raiders have completely dominated the Chicago Bears,” said play-by-play commentator Greg Papa.

On the next Raiders drive, Campbell escaped pressure and hit Zach Miller who powered his way to the 25 yard line for a first down. Center Samson Satele was injured during the play and limped off the field. Campbell fumbled the next snap from center and the Bears recovered the ball deep in Raiders’ territory. Greg Papa and Tom Flores agreed that it might have been an early snap as Campbell did not appear to be ready for the ball.

The Raiders D stood up and forced a huge fourth down where Bears quarterback Jay Cutler found WR Johnnie Knox, who was lost by rookie CB Jeremy Ware, for the touchdown. . The Bears’ went for two and got it on a wide Chester Taylor run. Who could blame them for going for two when their special teams unit was playing so poorly. The Bears took the lead 14-13.

Campbell stayed on the field with the first team offense to run the two-minute drill. Following a strip sack by Julius Peppers that was recovered by Gallery, Rock Cartwright ran the ball out of bounds and stopped the clock for the Bears’ offense. But Shane Lechler boomed the ball 54 yards on the punt. And the Bears’ took over on their own 21-yard line.

On first down, Kamerion Wimbley picked up his third sack of the first half. “He is the MVP of the first half,” said Papa.

The Bears’ moved the ball into Raider territory with 18 seconds left on the clock and called a timeout. After a knock down by safety Mike Mitchell, Kamerion Wimbley picked up his fourth first half sack to end the quarter. The good news was that the Raiders had the passing yard advantage (165 yards to 60) at the end of the half, but the bad news was the Raiders allowed 141 rushing yards. That number was a bit skewed by Matt Forte’s 89-yarder but not by much, aside from that run, the Raiders had allowed 52 yards on 6 carries…not good.

Kyle Boller came in after a Bears’ three-and-out to start the second half and hit Monase Tonga on a short pass to pick up a first down. That was followed by a short run and then a false start by back-up lineman Eric Pears. Kyle Boller then missed deep to Jacoby Ford and the Raiders were forced to punt. The Bears’ muffed the punt and it was recovered by Slade Norris, who was then covered up by Mike Mitchell, for a touchdown. The Raiders took a 20-14 lead.

“I actually told him to do something good tonight, ‘that is a special number you’re wearing right there’,” said former Raiders halfback, Bo Jackson, with regards to Mike Mitchell getting in on the play.Jackson had joined Papa and Flores in the commentator booth shortly before the end of halftime.

The Raiders second string defense stiffened up on the Bears’ next drive and forced another three-and out series and set the offense up on their own 38 yard line to start the next drive. Boller then converted a first down to Jacoby Ford. Shortly after that, Boller was sandwiched on a sack and lost his helmet. The Raiders were forced to punt again.

After yet another three-and-out produced by the Raiders back-up defense, the Raiders took a 27-14 lead after a Kyle Boller led 51-yard drive that was finished off by a 2-yard run by Boller.

The Raiders finished off the game with field goal and then a blocked punt by Slade Norriswhile allowing the Bears to score only one more field goal in the entire second half. Overall the Raiders were mostly dominant in this game, but their play was a little bit sloppy and that led to some big plays. However, most of the mistakes like the Campbell fumble and the blown coverage on the Bears’ touchdown pass were contributed by back-up players. On the whole, the game was a good showing for the Raiders passing offense and a good test for the Raiders’ rushing defense; a test that both units will have plenty of tape to take a look back at.

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