The Las Vegas Raiders will host the Chicago Bears in Week 4 and it’s expected to be an offensive battle.
Both the Raiders and Bears are 1-2, but each team’s season has looked somewhat similar. Both teams have been blown out and had a game where the quarterback thrived.
The Raiders are coming off a 41-24 loss to the Washington Commanders in Week 3, and the Bears lost 52-21 to the Detroit Lions in Week 2.
Las Vegas QB Geno Smith threw for 362 yards in their Week 1 victory over the New England Patriots and Chicago QB Caleb Williams threw for 298 yards and four touchdowns against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3.
Both secondaries are weak and allow a lot of yards to opposing teams, so the expectation is that both offenses will be throwing the football an awful lot.
The key for the Raiders is to get rookie sensation running back Ashton Jeanty going early and often to open up the passing game.
ESPN Fantasy Football writer Eric Moody has big expectations for Smith against the Bears.
“Smith is coming off a 26-point fantasy performance against the Commanders,” Moody wrote Saturday. “The Raiders lean heavily on the vertical passing game, and a significant portion of his production has come on deep throws. He now faces a banged-up Bears secondary that has allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks (behind only the [Miami] Dolphins and Cowboys). Smith is well-positioned to keep producing with playmakers such as Brock Bowers, Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker at his disposal.”
Brock Bowers and Jakobi Meyers are the top two targets for Smith, but the real difference maker has been Tre Tucker, who has caught all of Smith’s touchdowns (four) this season.
Williams' top target has been Rome Odunze and ESPN analyst Matt Bowen told readers not to be surprised if Odunze gets back in the end zone against Las Vegas.
“In each game this season, Odunze has seen seven or more targets and caught at least one touchdown,” Bowen wrote Saturday. “The emerging No.1 receiver for quarterback Caleb Williams, Odunze gets a Raiders defense that's allowing 237 passing yards per game (24th in the league).
“Look for Bears coach Ben Johnson to isolate Odunze on vertical throws, and set him up in the low red zone.”
Given the expectations for both teams’ offenses, this could be the National Football League’s game of the week.