ALAMEDA -– Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler missed Sunday’s loss to Seattle with a hamstring strain. He was supposed to be out another at least another week, when the Raiders came to Solider Field.
Then he showed up on the practice field on Wednesday. Cutler was a limited participant in team drills. Even still, there is pessimism that Cutler will be able to play.
Not from Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio, though. He expects the strong-armed starting quarterback to play Sunday afternoon.
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“I don’t think that it’s going to be a backup quarterback,” Del Rio said before Wednesday’s practice. “I’d be shocked if it is, but we’ll see.”
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The Bears went with Jimmy Clausen against the Seahawks, and got shut out. He threw for 63 yards in that game, making the offense look listless.
The Bears website says the team is 5-10 without Cutler.
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“I think there’s a big difference between Jay Cutler and the other guys,” Del Rio said. “That’s not to slight them, but he’s a more accomplished player. Jay is a good football player. He’s got tremendous arm talent. We want to make sure that we’re prepared for him. I would expect him to go. If he doesn’t go, we’ll be prepared for the backups.”
The Bears also played their last game without top receiver Alshon Jeffery, who also returned to practice on Wednesday.
With or without Cutler, defensive pressure will be key for the Raiders in a matchup against pocket passers.
“I think being able to get after the quarterback is imperative, obviously, to disrupt the timing and not let him be comfortable,” Del Rio said. “We look at the team. We look at the tape. I know you guys look at it a little different than us, but we study the tape and we see a lot of quality players. We know the coaches are good, we’ve coached against the min the past, and we know they’ll be ready. So we’re getting ourselves geared up for a heck of a battle.”