Well, he’s been in the NFL for 15 years now and he just turned 38 years old last week. Ladies and gentlemen, Raider Nation, Brian Hoyer will be the starting quarterback for the Raiders on Sunday against the Chicago Bears, who happen to also be his former team. Hoyer played one season in Chicago with the Bears in 2016. In a backup role, he threw for 1,445 yards, 6 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Coincidentally, Hoyer has not won a game as a starter since he played for the Bears. His last win was in week 4 on October 2nd, 2016 in a 17-14 win against the Detroit Lions, now 7 years ago. He has lost his last 12 games as a starter, which is the longest active QB losing streak, per NFL Research. So, how can he lead the Raiders to a victory over his former team on Sunday, and get his first win since 2016, while also avoiding his 13th straight loss? Let’s take a look.
The Offense Is Loaded, Feed Your Stars
It’s simple. Feed your stars. Trust them. You have arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL in Davante Adams and he has already voiced his frustrations about wanting the ball more going forward earlier this week. Feed him, and also feed your star running back, who led the NFL in rushing yards last season. Jacobs started off slow this season, but has been slowly improving the last few games and I anticipate him to only continue getting better as the season progresses.
Take Care Of The Football
The Raiders have to take care of the football. Brian Hoyer is going to need to get the ball out quick and make quick decisions, he can’t let the pressure get to him, he’s not mobile. You can’t win a football game turning the ball over often. Raiders starting quarterback Jimmy Garappolo leads the league in interceptions with 8, and rookie Aidan O’Connell threw one interception and fumbled four times against the Chargers in his one and only start. Brian Hoyer hasn’t started a game yet this year until this game, but in the second half against the win against the Patriots last week, Hoyer played solid and completed 6 out of 10 throws for 102 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions, and most importantly, ultimately closed out the game and led the Raiders to the win in the end.
The Offensive Line Has To Hold Up
The Raiders offensive line has been kind of inconsistent so far this season, playing very solid in some games. But then there have also been a few games where it seemed like they just couldn’t block anyone, specifically against the Chargers and Steelers. They need to hold their own this game, and protect the QB like they did last week against the Patriots, allowing no sacks. Brian Hoyer is not a mobile QB, and he’s 38 years old. You don’t want him taking a lot of big hits. The offensive line needs to hold their own, but like I said, Hoyer also needs to get the ball out quick and can’t hold it for too long either. If Hoyer can get the ball out quick and often, feed his stars, make quick decisions and take care of the ball, the Raiders should come out with a big win against the Bears on Sunday as they look to win three straight for the first time this season and improve to 4-3.