When the Raiders have the ball

The Bears defense is coming off its best performance of the season, holding the Cowboys to one touchdown while generating four takeaways, including interceptions on each of Dallas’ final three possessions of the game—two by linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and one by safety Kevin Byard III.

The unit will face a Raiders offense that’s quarterbacked by Geno Smith and leads the NFL with 15 pass plays of at least 20 yards. Las Vegas acquired the 13-year veteran during the offseason, reuniting him with first-year coach Pete Carroll, who helped revitalize Smith’s career with the Seahawks.

Smith ranks second in the league with 831 passing yards, but his four interceptions and 12 sacks are both tied for the second most. After throwing three picks with no TDs in Week 2, he passed for three TDs with no interceptions last Sunday.

“Geno’s played a lot of football,” said defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. “He’s been in a lot of different systems. He’s seen a lot of different things. He’s playing at a high level. If you just line up in one thing every time and he knows exactly what you’re doing, you’re creating some tough matchups for yourself.”

Receiver Jakobi Meyers leads the Raiders with 17 receptions for 228 yards, while receiver Tre Tucker has caught all four of Smith’s TD passes this season. After setting an NFL rookie record with 112 receptions and being named first-team All-Pro last year, tight end Brock Bowers has 14 catches for 179 yards.

“They’ve got great team speed on that side; those guys are flying around,” Johnson said. “Offensively, they’ve got playmakers at every position group. Quarterback is playing at a high level. I think they’re the No. 1 team in explosive plays right now on offense, so we’ve got our work cut out for us.”

The Bears will look to generate pressure on Smith while also containing rookie running back Ashton Jeanty. The No. 6 pick in the draft has rushed for 144 yards and one TD on 47 carries in his first three NFL games.

“He’s a violent runner,” Allen said. “He gets into the second, third level of the defense, he’s seeking out contact. He runs extremely hard. He’s an outstanding player. He’s got great vision, really good feet, and he runs tough. We’ve got to get a lot of hats around the ball on him.”

Key matchup: Bears defensive end Montez Sweat vs. Raiders right tackle DJ Glaze

Sweat registered his first sack of the season last Sunday versus Dallas and will look to add to that total against the Raiders. He will be opposed by Glaze, who has started all 20 games since being selected by Las Vegas in the second round of the 2024 draft. The Bears defense will play without key starters at all three levels in tackle Grady Jarrett (knee), linebacker T.J. Edwards (hamstring) and cornerback Jaylon Johnson (groin).

Fun facts

With a touchdown Sunday, Odunze would become the first player to score a TD in each of the Bears’ first four games of a season since Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton in 1986.

The first NFL game in which Carroll coached against the Bears came on Sept. 19, 1985, in Minnesota when he was Vikings defensive backs coach. An injured Jim McMahon convinced coach Mike Ditka to put him into the game when the Bears trailed 17-9 midway through the third quarter. McMahon followed by throwing three TD passes on his first three possessions to rally his team to a 33-24 victory.

The Bears’ last three road games against the Raiders were played in three different locations: Oakland in 2011, London in 2019 and Las Vegas in 2021.