3 and out: Lackluster defense, poor penalties hand win to Raiders
Takeaways from the Bears' 24-21 loss against the Oakland Raiders in London Sunday:
Three moments that mattered
1. KPL runs into kicker
The Bears 'D,' despite an uncharacteristically poor performance, appeared to be off the field, up 21-17 late in the third quarter, when Kevin Pierre-Louis was flagged for running into the kicker. It turned a fourth-and-6 into fourth-and-1, compelling Jon Gruden to dial up a fake punt for a first down. What happened next determined the outcome of the game ...
2. Defense can't slam door
A drive that began at Oakland's three-yard line with nearly eight minutes remaining resulted in the game-winning touchdown and bled nearly six of those minutes off the clock. Sure, the special teams faltered as well, but they're not known as being the best respective unit in the NFL, either. Gruden out-schemed Chuck Pagano on that drive by using every inch of the field, where the Bears were too often a half-step late.
3. Daniel's INT ends final drive
The Bears still had a chance, trailing by three with just under two minutes and two timeouts remaining, and Chase Daniel had the offense moving with a pair of big completions to — who else? — Allen Robinson. But he then took a shot downfield at a game-winning touchdown. The problem: he threw into double coverage where no receiver appeared to be in sight, and Gareon Conley made the game-sealing pick.
Three things that worked
1. Allen Robinson
People really think he's not a true No. 1 receiver, huh? After catching the Bears' second and third touchdowns, Robinson made as remarkable of a catch as you'll see on a football field. On third-and-8 at the Chicago three on the subsequent series after McManis' forced fumble, Daniel threw a deep ball for Robinson down the right sideline. A-Rob went air born laying out for the grab and somehow getting both feet in bounds as Raiders S Erik Harris delivered a massive hit. He finished with 7 catches for 97 yards and 2 touchdowns.
2. Halftime adjustments
Although the Bears received a ton of gifts from Oakland, Matt Nagy and his staff also at least helped breathe life into a lifeless club after intermission. Following one of their worst halves under his watch, he wisely prioritized the quick passing game and getting Daniel outside of the pocket to help offset the Raiders' relentless pressure.
3. Lady Luck
Let's call it what it was: the Raiders tried their best to gift the Bears a win. From Richie Incognito's dirty penalties to a Maurice Hurst roughing nullifying what should've been Daniel's second pick to a pair of massive giveaways deep in their own territory, they won despite their lack of discipline. But they overcame their errors, unlike the Bears.
Three things that didn't
1. Mounting and mitigating pressure
The Bears' vaunted pass rush was pretty much M.I.A., save for one good speed rush by Khalil Mack leading to a throwaway. And the combo of a porous O-line and Daniel's lack of mobility led to four sacks taken on offense — only one fewer than Oakland totaled in its first four games combined.
2. Offensive line
We mentioned it above but it bears repeating: this unit hasn't been anywhere near advertised. Charles Leno drew two more penalties, and Chicago lost the line of scrimmage repeatedly in another sub-3.0 yards per carry rushing game.
3. Tackling on 'D'
Plenty of missed tackles by the Bears, with Ha Ha Clinton-Dix among the chief culprits but Kyle Fuller also overrunning a play on the Raiders' go-ahead scoring drive late. It wasn't all that felled the Bears 'D,' but it assisted rookie Josh Jacobs (26-123-2), only the second back to go over 100 yards against the Bears since 2017.
What's next?
The Bears get a much-needed bye before returning to host the 4-1, NFC South-leading New Orleans Saints in Week 6.
• Twitter: @ArthurArkush