The Oakland Raiders defeated the Cleveland Browns 27-20 Sunday afternoon at FirstEnergy Stadium, notching their first win on the road since 2011.
Now sitting at 2-1, Head Coach Jack Del Rio and his team have their sights squarely set on a Week 4 matchup with the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.
Heading into their showdown with the Silver and Black, the Bears are coming off a disappointing 26-0 loss at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks, and have yet to win a game in 2015.
Leading into their Week 4 game between the Raiders and Bears, it's time to double check our matchups of the week, brought to you by State Farm.
Defensive Coordinator Ken Norton, Jr. vs. Tight End Martellus Bennett
The Raiders have now won back-to-back games as they prepare to fly to Chicago to take on the Bears, but through the first three games of the season there has been one constant thorn in the side of the defense – the opposing team's tight end.
In the team's 27-20 win over the Browns, the Silver and Black allowed tight end Gary Barnidge to go over 100 yards receiving, a theme that has been constant in the early stages of the season.
Head Coach Del Rio joked earlier in the week about the opposition's tight ends wearing a cloaking device, but defensive coordinator Ken Norton, Jr., is going to have find a way to remove that device and at the very least slow down Martellus Bennett Sunday.
Through three games, Bennett leads the Bears with 13 receptions for 118 yards and 1 score, and on a banged up team without their full complement of offensive weapons, slowing down the Pro-Bowl tight end would pay huge dividends for the Raiders.
Cornerback DJ Hayden vs. Wide Receiver Alshon Jeffery
After not playing since Week 1, Alshon Jeffery returned to practice Wednesday in a limited capacity, and if the Bears No. 1 receiver is able to go Sunday, his production will definitely be something to keep an eye on.
Within that battle, another thing to keep an eye on is who will be lining up against the speedy wide out.
While Head Coach Del Rio would not confirm that TJ Carrie would remain at safety, if he does for the matchup with the Bears, it would make sense that DJ Hayden would get first crack at Jeffery.
Hayden, as well as the Raiders defense in general, showed a marked improvement in last week's win over the Browns, and when the final whistle blew, Hayden had 4 total tackles and 1 pass defensed.
The third-year corner has grown more confident as the season has worn on, and he'll be sure to have his hands full with Jeffery.
Wide Receiver Amari Cooper vs. Cornerback Kyle Fuller
A battle of two former first-round draft picks.
Amari Cooper has taken the NFL by storm the first three games of his short career, recording the most receiving yards for a rookie (290) through three games since Anquan Boldin 12 years ago.
Cooper exploded for 134 receiving yards last week, predominantly lined up across from All-Pro cornerback Joe Haden, and the rookie will have another big test this weekend going against Kyle Fuller.
Fuller was drafted No. 14 overall in the 2014 NFL Draft and similarly to Cooper, started his NFL career with a bang, becoming the first player in the past 20 seasons to record 3 interceptions and 2 forced fumbles in their first three games.
The former Virginia Tech Hokie has all the intangibles to be a shutdown corner in the NFL, and the game of cat and mouse between him and Cooper will definitely be something to keep an eye on Sunday in the Windy City.
