When the Bears travel across the pond to London for their matchup against the Oakland Raiders, the offense will likely look a bit different than it has over the first quarter of the season.
Backup QB Chase Daniel is expected to make his first start of the season, filling in for starting QB Mitchell Trubisky, who suffered a dislocated left shoulder — his non-throwing shoulder — on the team’s first drive against the Minnesota Vikings.
Coach Matt Nagy will likely install a different game plan for Daniel than he had for Trubisky, which is why these 3 players are facing major tests against the Raiders this week.
1. QB Chase Daniel
Daniel played well in relief against the Vikings, completing 22-of-30 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown. He did enough to keep the offense on the field for extended periods of time, and while he only found the endzone on the opening drive, Daniel took care of the ball and put his team in position to win.
Now, he’ll face a Raiders team who will be game planning for him, so despite their well-below average pass defense, he will likely face a stiff challenge as the Raiders will attempt to put the game on Daniel’s shoulders. Will he be able to replicate his success?
2. RB David Montgomery
We’ve been waiting for the breakout performance for the Bears rookie rusher. Will this be the game Montgomery goes gangbusters against the Raiders defense?
Through the first quarter of the season, Montgomery ranks 24th in rushing yards (200) and 25th in rushing yards per game (50.0). Taking out his 25-yard run against the Redskins, he’s averaging 3.2 yards per carry for the season.
Montgomery has moved the chains when needed but simply hasn’t had a stellar game yet. With Daniel starting at QB, Nagy will likely rely on his running game even more than normal. This is a perfect opportunity for the former Iowa State Cyclone to showcase his hard-running style and vision against an average Raiders run defense.
3. TE Trey Burton
This game will be Burton’s fourth since returning from his groin injury. He’s been noticeably absent in all of them, grabbing 8 catches for 41 yards and no scores.
One of the offense’s catalysts in 2018, Burton has failed to integrate himself into the offense this season. He most recently nearly had a costly fumble on the team’s opening drive against the Vikings until the officials ruled the play incomplete, allowing the Bears to score their only touchdown of the game.
A dependable tight end is a QB’s best friend, particularly one who is a backup. With Raiders LB Vontaze Burfict out for the season due to an illegal hit, Burton, like Montgomery, has a chance to breakout and have himself a game against the Raiders.
