If you told any Raider fan before the season started that their team would be 3-2 heading into the bye week, I guarantee they wouldn’t have believed you but gladly would have taken it.
After two straight ugly losses to the Chiefs and Vikings, the Raiders have rebounded nicely, getting quality wins over the Colts and Bears in consecutive weeks.
The Raiders jumped all over the Bears early on Sunday in London, getting out to a 17-0 lead in the second quarter. Then the wheels began to come off a little bit in the second half.
The Bears scored 21 unanswered to take the lead in the third quarter behind Allen Robinson's two touchdown receptions.
Backed up in their own territory with five minutes remaining in the fourth the Raiders pulled off a huge fake punt on 4th and 1 to extend the drive.
They needed just eight plays to go the remaining 69 yards as rookie running back Josh Jacobs punched it in from two yards out to put away Chicago for good.
Jacobs had another excellent day on the ground, finishing with 123 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Even more impressive is that Jacobs and the offensive line were able to gash a dominant Bears run defense that just held Dalvin Cook to 35 yards the week prior.
The Raider defense had their best performance of the season as well. They picked off quarterback Chase Daniel twice and came away with four sacks on the day.
Sure, it was against a struggling offense and their backup quarterback, but we are starting to see improvements from the Raiders on both sides of the ball.
Their beginning to find their identity as a team which is to pound the ball with Josh Jacobs on offense, control the time of possession and keep their defense off the field.
The defense has shown flashes the past two weeks however they still rank in the bottom half of the league. The lack of playmaking at the receiver position is also alarming which puts added pressure on this running game to get it done.
Not many expected much from this Raider team this season however as it currently sits, they are in second place in the AFC West and in the thick of the playoff race.
Their remaining schedule includes games against the Titans Bengals, Jets, Jaguars Broncos and Chargers twice. All these games are very winnable and Oakland pushing for nine wins is looking like a possibility at this point.
It's still very early and it’s a long season but even still, Raider Nation should be pleased with what they’ve seen from their team through five weeks. They’re competing and showing signs of life that we did not see at all last season.
They’ve set themselves up nicely headed into their bye and will have an extra week to prepare for a road matchup against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.
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