The Las Vegas Raiders and Chicago Bears are two teams in very similar positions. They are both 1-2, and the new head coaches haven’t been able to find consistency with the teams yet.
Defensive end Maxx Crosby hasn’t had a huge game yet, but he can take over a game in some situations. Last year, Bears quarterback Caleb Williams got sacked 68 times, which was easily the most in the NFL.
He’s been a bit better this season, but he hasn’t faced a pass rusher at Crosby’s level yet. Williams is very aware of the All-Pro heading into the Week 4 matchup between the Raiders and Bears.
“Someone you need to be aware of on every single play,” Williams told reporters Wednesday. “Understand the type of player that he is and how much he can affect a game and how much he does affect a game and a game plan.”
If Williams starts to hold onto the ball too long, it could be Crosby’s time to shine.
Chicago Bears’ quarterback Caleb Williams on preparing for the Raiders.
🎥: Bears
#RaiderNation | #CHIvsLVBen Johnson Talks Crosby
One of the big storylines heading into the game involves Ben Johnson. It’s not a secret that the Raiders were interested in hiring him to be their head coach in the offseason.
Though it looked like there was real momentum, he could end up in Las Vegas, but he decided to go to Chicago instead. Crosby was a player he could’ve been coaching, and he has a ton of respect for the defensive end.
“He’s a top-five player in this league on defense and probably doesn’t get the recognition he deserves,” Johnson said Wednesday. “He’s all over the place, relentless, high motor. You’ve got to account for him and know where he’s at every single snap, or else he’ll get ya.
“He wrecks drives — that’s what he does.”
The Raiders have struggled to generate a pass rush all season, but the Bears have a shaky offensive line. This could be the perfect game for the defensive line to gain some momentum.
Pete Carroll Praises Williams
The same way Johnson interviewed for the Raiders‘ coaching job last year, Pete Carroll interviewed for the Bears‘ job. Thanks to his ties to USC, he’s very familiar with the young quarterback.
Williams has had an up-and-down start to his career, but Carroll still thinks very highly of him.
“I did watch him a lot [at USC] and had a chance to check him out,” Carroll said on Wednesday. “He’s a very, very special athlete and he’s got great sense, great awareness about throwing the football and running the football. He’ll be a prolific scrambler, and by the time we check out his years, he’s really good at it and throws really well on the run, too.
“They have a really nice system. You can see it already coming through. [Ben Johnson] is doing a nice job teaching these guys what he believes is important in offense. You can see that there are a lot of changes from last year. Caleb can do whatever you want him to do, so he’s a very dangerous player to play against.”
Caleb Williams Has Strong Words for Raiders DE Maxx Crosby