Sitting at 2-2 after an impressive road victory against the Indianapolis Colts, the Oakland Raiders will head across the pond to play the Chicago Bears in London in Week 5.
While the Raiders managed to win, it came at a cost as they saw their defensive playcaller and captain Vontaze Burfict ejected from the game due to an illegal helmet-to-helmet hit he laid on Jack Doyle.
Upon further review of the play, the NFL decided to suspend Burfict for the remainder of the 2019 season thanks to his history of disregarding the league’s player safety and health guidelines. He is expected to appeal the suspension, but not until next week.
The veteran linebacker was replaced by Tahir Whitehead and according to Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area, he is ready to step up in Burfict’s place:
“There’s no added stress,” Whitehead said “I’m comfortable doing that and getting the calls executed. I’m responsible for keeping guys on the same page, and that won’t be hard for me to do that.”
Whitehead later explained why he is so confident in his move to the inside:
“Having played in the middle the past few years, I think it gets me to flow to both sides of the field, from sideline to sideline,” Whitehead said. “That’s my strength. It gives me more opportunities to make plays.
“Wherever you put me, I’m going to play well. Versatility is the name of the game.”
Whitehead signed a three-year deal with the Raiders last offseason and was responsible for calling plays and heading the defense in his first year with the team. Defensive coordinator Paul Guenther has moved Whitehead around at linebacker during the year but it appears he is primed to settle into Burfict’s old role.
While Whitehead is capable of filling in for the Raiders, Burfict’s suspension does ultimately become a blow for a unit that has struggled to keep opposing offenses in check. The Silver and Black have already been hit with several injuries to their defense, so losing a player of Burfict’s caliber will exacerbate what was already a thin linebacker corps.
The Bears do not present the most threatening offense as backup quarterback Chase Daniel will start in place of Mitch Trubisky while he rehabs from a shoulder injury. However, Matt Nagy has surely prepared for the matchup with Daniel in mind, which could spell some issues for Oakland.
With Whitehead now calling the signals for the Raiders’ defense, it will be interesting to see if they can contain the Bears and Nagy’s intricate offensive system.
