Heading into the Oakland Raiders Week 4 game with the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, we highlighted three matchups that would be critical in how the game eventually played out.
The Raiders ended up falling to the Bears 22-20 on a last-second field goal to drop their record to 2-2, so let's take a look at how those three matchups played out.
Defensive Coordinator Ken Norton, Jr. vs. Tight End Martellus Bennett
Advantage: Martellus Bennett
The Pro Bowl- tight end led the Bears in receiving yards, hauling in 11 receptions for 83 yards and 1 touchdown.
Perhaps even more damaging than his total yardage, Bennett caught a critical fourth down pass from quarterback Jay Cutler that kept the game-winning drive alive in the waning moments of Sunday's contest.
Charles Woodson was asked about the continued theme of tight ends having big days against the Raiders defense, quipping that, "they're professionals too," and while that may be true, Norton and company will be asked about tight end-production until they prove they can take it away.
Cornerback DJ Hayden vs. Wide Receiver Alshon Jeffery
Originally it was thought that Jeffery would give it a go against the Raiders, but the speedy wide receiver was unable to get his hamstring right and was ruled inactive prior to Sunday's game.
For the second week in a row, TJ Carrie spent most of his time at safety, so DJ Hayden, Neiko Thorpe and newcomer David Amerson handled the majority of the duties against the Bears wide receivers.
When all was said and done, Cutler threw for 281 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Outside of Bennett, no wide receiver had that outstanding of a day Sunday, and Hayden finished the game with 4 total tackles.
Wide Receiver Amari Cooper vs. Cornerback Kyle Fuller
The battle between former first rounders turned into a battle between rookie and veteran as cornerback, and former Raider, Tracy Porter seemed to follow Cooper around most of the afternoon.
Cooper ended the afternoon with 4 catches for 49 yards and 1 touchdown in the Silver and Black's 22-20 loss at the hands of the Bears.
On a positive note, Cooper's touchdown was a thing of beauty, as he beat cornerback Sherrick McManis and hauled in a 26-yard pass from Derek Carr, managing to get both feet down before running out of the end zone.
