Bear Digest

What Ben Johnson's Bears can prove with road win over the Raiders

Analysis: The Bears have been road duds of late and it's usually the trademark of losing teams so Sunday's game in Las Vegas can mean the start to something better.
Gene Chamberlain|
Justin Fields fires a pass against the Raiders in 2021, the last game the Bears won the road over a winning team that used its starters.
Justin Fields fires a pass against the Raiders in 2021, the last game the Bears won the road over a winning team that used its starters. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The Bears tried this before already and failed.

Going against the division champion Detroit Lions on the road in only their second game together under Ben Johnson, a game with obvious emotional consideration for their coach, proved far beyond their capabilities. Their injuries on defense only added to the task.

Much has changed this time as the Bears hit the road again in Vegas against the Raiders, competition level included.

"So even though the first two games didn't go the way we wanted we bounced back the right way," Johnson said. "Well, this week we’ve got a whole other mission, which is to find a way to get our first road win and piggyback on the success we had last week. We're all united in that mission and we're going to do our best to put our best foot forward.”

It is a necessary game to win but also a measuring stick game for them.

You'll probably know whether this is a team capable of pulling together and making some sort of run to the playoffs later after this win.

It's not just that 1-3 teams have their playoff chances drop from 24% to 15%.

It's what losing two on the road would mean for the Bears. Road wins are the key measuring stick and their current major obstacle.

They have lost eight of the last nine on the road, 18 of their last 22 and the last time they won on the road over a team that finished with a winning record but wasn't resting its key starters or even all of them was in 2021 when Matt Nagy's team was where the Bears are on Sunday, in Las Vegas. It was a 20-9 win over a Raiders team that fired coach Jon Gruden after the game, Justin Fields' second career start. That Raiders team wasn't very good at that point but later made a run to the playoffs with special teams coach Rich Bisaccia as head coach.

The Bears did beat Green Bay last year on the road to close the season, but the Packers pulled key starters, chiefly their quarterback, because they were about to go into the playoffs.

How a team plays on the road usually is indicative of strength. Winning teams make a run at .500 on the road or better.

Since the Bears went to Super Bowl XLI, they've only had winning records on the road five times: 2010, 2012, 2015, 2018 and 2020. They finished with winning records in all of those years except 2015, John Fox's first year as coach. They won only one home game that 2015 season and finished 6-10.

No, the Bears probably wouldn't be beating a team that finishes this season with a winning record if they do beat the Raiders on Sunday. However, you need to win a road game before taking the next step and that is beating a good team. They've already taken the first step under Johnson by winning a game but it was at home.

All this win against the Raiders would signify is they've taken step No. 2, a win on the road.

Beating a good team and then beating a good team on the road would be next to come.

Perhaps they achieve all of these at once. If Caleb Williams suddenly has arrived as a dangerous passing threat against all defenses, it would be possible.

However, the true indicator would be beating good teams on the road.

They'll get plenty opportunities for that the rest of the season because their remaining road schedule is Washington, Baltimore, at Cincinnati, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Green Bay and San Francisco.

There will be plenty of chances to prove they have taken that step. For now, beating the rebuilding Raiders will do.

Bears road records

Since Super Bowl XLI

0-1 2025

1-7 2024

2-7 2023

1-7 2022

3-5 2021

5-3 2020 *

4-4 2019

5-3 2018 *

2-6 2017

0-8 2016

5-3 2015

3-5 2014

3-5 2013

5-3 2012

3-5 2011

6-2 2010 *

2-6 2009

3-5 2008

3-5 2007

*Made playoffs

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.