The Oakland Raiders welcome the Chicago Bears to town on Sunday in a huge game for Oakland. The Raiders hold a one-game lead over the Denver Broncos in the AFC West and will look to handle their business against a hot Bears squad that just lost its starting quarterback indefinitely.
The loss of Jay Cutler and the insertion of Caleb Hanie into the starting lineup makes the Raiders defense an intriguing play this weekend. Matt Forte will be the focal point of the offense, but without Cutler, the Raiders might be more inclined to stack the box and make Hanie beat them. This could open the door for sacks and turnovers, which are always a good thing.
Carson Palmer remains a big question mark as he was relegated to a lot of handoff duty against the Vikings. He was 17-of-23 but he did not have the big plays like we saw from him against the San Diego Chargers. This could repeat itself against the Chicago Bears, but there is still some upside for Palmer. The Bears defense could also elect to stuff the box against a hot Michael Bush, which could open up Denarius Moore deep.
Palmer is a risky play given the Raiders rushing attack, but he has shown some serious upside when they open up the passing game. He is likely scooped up in most leagues, but if he is sitting around, he is worth a grab.