Bears vs Raiders: Game Preview and Final Score Prediction

The big news this past week surrounding Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler's thumb has finally subsided after Cutler underwent successful surgery on Wednesday. The focus is back on the field now as the Bears take on the Oakland Raiders this Sunday.

It remains to be seen whether Cutler's injury will keep him out for the rest of the season and the playoffs, assuming the Bears make it that far.

The Bears have their first big test with Caleb Hanie starting in place of Cutler this week. The Raiders are currently in first place in the AFC West, with a 6-4 record, and have won two straight games. The Bears have won five straight and are the top team in position for a wild-card berth, but now they will have to soldier on without their star quarterback.

The Bears may have lost arguably their most important player to injury, but they are relatively healthy at this point in the season. They have lost offensive linemen Gabe Carimi and Chris Williams to season-ending injuries, however, and cornerback D.J. Moore is listed as doubtful for the Raiders game.

The Raiders are currently having their own injury issues. Several starters on offense are likely to miss the Bears game on Sunday. Running back Darren McFadden and wide receiver Jacoby Ford have already been ruled out for Sunday's game. Wide receiver Denarius Moore has not practiced this week, and Darrius Heyward-Bey has been limited in practice this week.

With quarterback Carson Palmer still getting acclimated to his new team after a shaky start, the Raiders' growing list of injured players should have an impact on Palmer's success against the Bears' opportunistic defense.

The Bears will most likely employ a conservative offense with Hanie at quarterback Sunday, leaning heavily on running backs Matt Forte and Marion Barber. When the Bears are looking to pass, expect plenty of max-protection schemes to combat the Raiders pass rush. Through the first ten games, the Raiders defense has 28 sacks.

Although Hanie has only attempted 14 regular season pass attempts in his four-year career, he did perform admirably when Jay Cutler went down with a knee injury in the first half of last year's NFC Championship game. Hanie has a solid arm and is a mobile quarterback as well.

One of the keys to the Bears' resurgence after a 2-3 start has been their defense. Labeled as old and slowing down by many NFL pundits before the season, veterans Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, and Julius Peppers have been dominant during the Bears' current five-game winning streak. They will try and force Carson Palmer into making mistakes Sunday. The Raiders have turned the ball over 12 times in their last four games.

The Bears running game should get plenty of work Sunday. The Raiders currently have the 25th-ranked run defense in the NFL. Forte's run-per-attempt average has been slipping the last few weeks, but it should bounce back against the Raiders' suspect run defense.

The Bears also hold an edge on special teams. The Raiders have given up the most punt return yards in the league this season, as they have also allowed two return touchdowns. The Bears' return specialist, Devin Hester should have a big impact on the game if Raiders punter Shane Lechler is forced to kick in Hester's direction. The Raiders will be without their own top returner, Jacoby Ford. Ford has returned four kickoffs for touchdowns in his brief career.

Prediction: Chicago Bears 23 Oakland Raiders 17

While the Bears are looking to at least split their remaining six games in order to make the playoffs, this may be their toughest test. Oakland has a great pass rush, and will be going up against Caleb Hanie, who is making his first NFL start Sunday.

The Bears coaching staff has been enjoying a top year, seemingly making all the right moves on offense and defense. They have had a full week to adjust to Cutler's injury, and have undoubtedly put in place a game plan that will work towards Hanie's strengths.

The Bears hold the edge on defense and special teams, and their running game should see some improvement over the last two games, when Forte was relatively ineffective.

While Carson Palmer has played well the last two weeks, he will be working with a banged-up offense against the Bears. Running back Michael Bush will be shouldering the load for the Raiders, and should he get injured or be slowed down by the Bears, the Raiders will struggle to score points.

Both teams should capitalize on turnovers. The Bears have been doing it most of the year and the Raiders have been coughing up the ball frequently. Chances are that Hanie will either fumble or throw an interception or two.

It should be an interesting game with many storylines developing, as the Bears and Raiders look to remain in control of their playoff destinies.