With Bears undrafted rookie quarterback Tyson Bagent making his first start and Raiders ferocious pass rusher Maxx Crosby having his best season, it’s an ideal week for the Bears to get their ground game rolling.
Running was one of the few things the Bears did well last season, when they led the NFL at 177.3 yards per game. But 38% of that production came from quarterback Justin Fields, who won’t be playing.
Neither will top running back Khalil Herbert, who will miss at least the next three games on injured reserve, and promising rookie Roschon Johnson looks unlikely as well. Johnson remained in the concussion protocol Thursday and didn’t practice, indicating he probably will miss his second game in a row.
That leaves the Bears with journeyman D’Onta Foreman, followed by recently signed backup Darrynton Evans. They also should get Travis Homer, mainly a special teams player, back from a hamstring injury. He practiced in full.
Foreman led the team with 15 carries against the Vikings last week and picked 65 yards, while Evans ran nine times for 32 yards.
The Raiders are 19th in run defense, allowing 122.8 yards per game, and are 17th in opponent passer rating at 89.8.
