Bears edged out by Raiders in London thriller

Raiders running back Josh Jacobs was able to power through a horde of Bears defenders while scoring the winning touchdown. (Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)

by Cole Little - Senior Writer - Sun Oct 06 22:03:08 GMT-04:00 2019

LONDON — A fervent third-quarter comeback on foreign soil led to heartbreak for the Chicago Bears (3-2) on Sunday. After trailing he Oakland Raiders (3-2) 17-0 at halftime, the Bears came alive in the third quarter, but a late Oakland touchdown culminated in a 24-21 Raiders victory. The contest was played at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London as part of the first international contest of the 2019 NFL regular season. The Bears, who previously played in London in 2011, were forced to compete without starting quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, as the gunslinger suffered a dislocated left shoulder in Week 4 that prevented him from suiting up in Week 5.

Chase Daniel started under center for the Bears, and he endured a shaky first half. Raiders running back Josh Jacobs scored his first touchdown of the game on the first play of the second quarter. Jacobs capped off a 10-play, 90-yard drive with a 12-yard run to the end zone. Soon afterward, Daniel was intercepted by Raiders linebacker Nicholas Morrow, which provided the Raiders with great field position. Another Oakland rushing touchdown ensued. This time, running back DeAndre Washington crossed the goal line for a 3-yard score. Later in the second quarter, Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson increased Oakland's lead to 17 points with a 41-yard field goal.

As fate would have it, Bears linebacker Khalil Mack, who was traded to the Bears by the Raiders following a testy contract dispute last year, provided Chicago with its first momentum of the game when he recovered a fumble at Oakland's 14-yard line. The fumble recovery occurred less than to two minutes out of the intermission, as Raiders quarterback Derek Carr suffered from miscommunication issues on a badly botched pitch play that led to Mack corralling the loose football. A few plays later, Bears running back David Montgomery scored on the ground from one yard out. The Bears' next possession featured a marvelous leaping grab by wideout Anthony Miller, who reached over the top of a defender in the process of securing a 32-yard reception.

Fellow Bears wide receiver Allen Robinson II capped off the drive with a 4-yard touchdown catch that made the score 17-14 with just under three minutes remaining in the third quarter. Bears return specialist Tarik Cohen set up the Bears' third touchdown of the affair with an electrifying 71-yard punt return that placed the ball inside the red zone. After a penalty nullified the first play of the possession, Daniel connected with Robinson for a 16-yard touchdown that was reminiscent of Miller's aforementioned snag. Robinson jumped up and nabbed the perfectly placed pass from Daniel while being closely guarded by a defensive back.

The Raiders proceeded to march down the field and garner a goal-to-go opportunity at the Bears' 3-yard line. However, Chicago caught a significant break when Oakland wide receiver Trevor Davis fumbled just before breaking the plane on what would have been a go-ahead touchdown. Cornerback Sherrick McManis forced the fumble, and cornerback Prince Amukamara recovered the fumble, giving the Bears the football back at their own 1-yard line. Chicago was able to advance to the Oakland side of the field before having to punt, which resulted in the Raiders manufacturing a winning touchdown drive that spanned 13 plays and 97 yards.

A call of running into the kicker on a Raiders punt proved to be quite costly for the Bears, as it gave the Raiders new life and set the stage for a successful fake punt from the Oakland 27-yard line. Raiders safety Erik Harris moved the chains with a 4-yard rush on the gutsy fake punt. Initially, it was ruled that Harris fumbled at the end of his run, with the Bears recovering the fumble. However, a subsequent review resulted in the call being overturned, thus allowing the Raiders to maintain possession of the football. Eventually, Jacobs pounced over a scrum and reached the ball out over the goal line for a 2-yard rushing touchdown that provided the Raiders with a 24-21 lead at the 1:57 mark of the fourth quarter.

Chicago's losing fate was sealed when, after driving the Bears past midfield, Daniel was picked off while attempting to hook up with Miller on another deep ball thrown into tight coverage. The interception effectively put a bow on the Raiders' 3-point victory across the pond. The Bears got the ball back at their own 20-yard line with 13 seconds to play but were unable to pull off a miracle. Daniel went 22-of-30 for 231 yards through the air, but his two interceptions seriously hindered his efforts. Robinson led all receivers with 97 receiving yards via a game-high seven receptions. Bears linebacker Danny Trevathan was the game's leading tackler with 11 tackles, all of which were solo. Following a Week 6 bye, the Bears will hope to have Trubisky back in action when they next take the field in Week 7.