Bears vs. Raiders: Which Team Has the Advantage at Each Positional Matchup

It's the first game for the Chicago Bears in the post-Jay Cutler era, so it will be huge to see if they can not only keep the winning streak alive but if Caleb Hanie can be a legitimate QB in the league.

The Bears and Raiders have some things in common. They both are in position to make the playoffs and have lost their starting QBs to injury.

But for the Raiders, the loss of Jason Campbell has been mitigated quite well with the acquisition of Carson Palmer.

Meanwhile, the Bears will be using a QB in Caleb Hanie who has never started an NFL game.

Obviously, when looking at matchups, it is hard to judge a QB who has never started an NFL game. All we really remember is when Hanie came in to relieve Cutler in the NFC Championship Game.

Hanie did all right, though he did throw two interceptions, including a pick-six.

Meanwhile, we need to examine the outcome of this game from the standpoint of who will win the individual position battles.

It's with that goal in mind that I present to you my latest Bears article.

RB Matt Forté vs. Raiders Run Defense

Defenses have had success in limiting Forté each of the past two games, as he gained only 3.2 yards per carry in the Bears' wins over the Lions and Chargers.

But the good news for Chicago is that Forte is tied for league lead with 11 runs of at least 20 yards. Well, Oakland just so happens to have allowed an NFL-worst 15 of those runs.

Opposing defenses are bringing an extra defender into the box more and Forté isn't getting the holes to run through like he was earlier in the year. And with Caleb Hanie starting at QB, there will be even more attention paid to the Bears running game than usual.

Oakland likely will bring SS Tyvon Branch closer to the line of scrimmage, leaving FS Michael Huff to patrol the back end on his own.

Hanie must show he is capable of making plays, because if the Raiders don't respect the passing game, there will be no room to run. Forté has great vision and ability to find holes but a lot of his fortune depends on how productive Hanie can be. 

Advantage: Raiders

Julius Peppers vs. Raiders OLT Jared Veldheer

The Bears' pass rush was basically nonexistent for much of the game against the Chargers. Philip Rivers, who was sacked six times by the Raiders one week earlier, was hit only once, and the Bears failed to register a single sack even though San Diego was starting a patchwork offensive line because of injuries.

DE Julius Peppers had the Bears' only QB hit in Week 11, is the key, of course, but for some reason he doesn't seem to show up every week like he did last year.

Part of that reason could be injury, as Peppers has been battling a balky knee, but the other part of that equation is that there is no other player on the Bears defense who can rush the passer on a consistent basis.

Peppers will be lining up across from one of the league's top young tackles on Sunday.

Raiders second-year OLT Jared Veldheer held Vikings DE Jared Allen in check in Week 11, ending Allen's streak of games with at least one sack at 11.

Peppers will need to get low, gain leverage and use his power and quickness to beat the 6-foot-8 Veldheer.

Other Bears rushers will need to step up, as the Raiders did allow four sacks in the game, and Carson Palmer was hit eight times. Since linebackers were especially successful against the Raiders last week, you can expect defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli to blitz more. 

Advantage: Raiders

Caleb Hanie vs. Raiders Secondary

The Bears have already limited the playbook and added extra protection, but offensive coordinator Mike Martz will need to get even more creative for Hanie to be successful on Sunday.

Hanie is mobile but can't make the same throws on the run that Cutler did. He has a strong arm, but not the cannon that Cutler possesses.

Hanie should see defenses putting an extra defender in the box to try to take away RB Matt Forté even more than Cutler did this season, and he has to show he can take advantage of those situations for the Bears offense to avoid the complete breakdown some might be envisioning.

It's Hanie's first-ever start at QB in the NFL, and though I do believe he will be fine with time, you can't help but give Oakland the advantage here.

Advantage: Raiders

Raiders QB Carson Palmer vs. Bears Secondary

Raiders QB Carson Palmer is averaging 9.2 yards per attempt, trailing only Aaron Rodgers among players with more than 10 passes.

But the Bears have forced nine turnovers in the past two games, and when they win the turnover battle, they're 11-1 over the past two seasons.

The Bears defense also puts points on the board and when that happens; they are 3-0 in 2011. 

DJ Moore is questionable, but Corey Graham has been surprisingly effective in the nickel with two interceptions.

Major Wright and Chris Conte play deep and have taken away the opposing team's big-play capability.

Advantage: Bears

Raiders RBs Darren McFadden or Michael Bush vs. Bears Run Defense

McFadden leads Oakland with 614 yards rushing in only 113 attempts, which is an excellent 5.4 yard average. That's even better that Forte.

But will the Raiders commit to giving McFadden more carries? When they do and McFadden gets at least 15 touches, he averages 130 yards.

The other question is will he even play? McFadden hasn’t played since Week 7 because of a foot injury.  

Meanwhile, Bush actually leads the Raiders in rushing attempts. He has 599 yards for a 4.3-yard-per-carry average.

The two backs have nine touchdowns between them.

Bush has posted two straight 100-yard rushing games

Advantage: Raiders, especially if McFadden can go.

Raiders Pass Rush vs. Bears Offensive Line

The Raiders actually do not get most of their pass rush off the edge from the DEs; they use a combination of inside pressures to get sacks.

LB Kamerion Wimbley was a force in Thursday's victory over the Chargers, racking up seven tackles (all solo), four sacks and a pass defense.

DT Tommy Kelly racked up three tackles, two sacks and an interception against the Vikings in Week 11.

DT Richard Seymour is still hurting but this Raiders defense is tied for sixth in the NFL with 28 sacks.

Meanwhile, the Bears offensive line has been holding up pretty well of late, and Edwin Williams did a decent job of replacing Chris Williams last Sunday.

But that inside pressure by Oakland will be tough to handle, especially if Hanie struggles in his first pro start.

Advantage: Raiders

Charles Tillman and Bears Secondary vs. Raiders WRs & TEs

Heyward-Bey is unlikely to play after he was taken off the field at Minnesota on a stretcher after a hard hit to the head. They say he has made strides but it wouldn't be surprising if he is held out for a short time as a precaution.

Meanwhile, Denarius Moore is not certain to play either, as he is wearing a protective boot on his right foot. Together, they have caught 55 balls for 887 yards and five TDs.

Jacoby Ford may not be ready to play either, and he is next among the Raiders wideouts in receiving yards.

So, their best hope may be tight end Kevin Boss, who is finally getting healthy, as evidenced by his five-catch Week 11. And TEs have had a lot of success against the Bears this season.

With all the injuries the Raiders have suffered at wideout, having a 6'6", 255-pound TE like Boss is going to help Carson Palmer enormously.

Tillman has played well this season, except for his performance last week against Vincent Jackson. He will be hungry to once again assert his dominance against a banged-up Raiders offense.

D.J. Moore may once again miss the game with a sprained ankle, so the nickel will be filled by Corey Graham, who has two interceptions and is starting to show that he may be OK on defense.

Safety Brandon Meriweather was limited on Wednesday because of a concussion. 

Advantage: Bears

Devin Hester vs. Raiders Special Teams Coverage Unit

The Raiders are one of three teams to allow at least two punt returns for scores this season. And Devin Hester has and NFL-best 12 punt return TDs in his career.

Only four teams have allowed a higher average punt return against them than Oakland. They have been much better covering kickoffs.

Teams continue to punt to Hester, so the question is will the Raiders give him a chance to beat them or will they punt out of bounds?

The Raiders have an excellent kicker-and-punter combination, but Shane Lechler's booming leg sometimes outkicks the coverage and Sebastian Janikowski is hurting. 

Meanwhile, Hester had 107 return yards against the Chargers and seems poised to break one. Johnny Knox had a 53-yard kickoff return last week against the Chargers.

When you have the best ever at a position, you always have the advantage.

Advantage: Bears

Raiders vs. Bears: Intangibles

The Raiders are on a record-setting penalty pace with 103 penalties for 892 yards this season. And Bears coaches have had a very good season this year.

Lovie Smith has a very experienced staff, with three former head coaches on his staff.

Oakland is at home and can be a tough place for opposing teams to play. The Bears are sitting pretty in the Wild Card standings, though they desperately want to win in order to calm the fears over the loss of Cutler.

The Raiders are in first place in the AFC West at 6-4, and in a bad division they are fairly comfortable too, so there is not real advantage either way in terms of needing a win.

But despite Oakland being hostile territory, they have losses at home against New England, Kansas City and Denver and actually have a better record on the road.

Advantage:  Slight advantage to the Bears