(670 The Score) There was some serious I-formation going on for the Bears in Las Vegas on Sunday, and it was more than just the way they were often aligned in the backfield.
They might have been creating an I, as in identity.
A 20-9 win over the Raiders came without Akiem Hicks and without David Montgomery -- but with a real plan that served them well. The partnership of rookie quarterback Justin Fields and play-caller Bill Lazor is now 2-0 in large part due to a patient and relentless running game with just enough accurate throws at critical times. If the defense can sustain something close to the level of play on display Sunday, it would mean for a more competitive remainder of the season than we once imagined as recently as we did amid the bleakness of two weeks ago.
Lazor again deployed Fields under center more regularly to let the run game work downhill, and the two-pronged attack from Khalil Herbert and Damien Williams produced 139 yards on 34 carries while Fields gutted through minor injuries to complete 12 of 20 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown for a 91.88 rating. His day included at least two special throws -- the perfectly placed scoring toss to Jesper Horsted that took advantage of a size mismatch in the second quarter and the low strike to Darnell Mooney against a tight zone that picked up a first down on third-and-12 on a drive in the fourth that ended with a Cairo Santos field goal.
This was the kind of satisfying-if-unspectacular victory that can begin to convince skeptics, those who dismissed last week as just an easy home game against the lowly Lions. A functional approach under Lazor is now visible, and it's one that if replicated can allow for more to be added on as it grows against an increasingly difficult schedule. This was a road upset for the Bears, one that may have taken advantage of a team dragged into ugly controversy at an inopportune time.
We'll never know how the recent revelation of coach Jon Gruden's past racism affected the Raiders' preparation or concentration, but the ugliness of it all can't help any bit of the message or his connection to his team. The Raiders committed 10 penalties worth 82 yards, with receivers dropping passes all over the field. If they thought they needed a win to quiet the storm, their own lack of discipline lost them that chance.
Some of their pass-catchers had to have been concerned about taking a big shot from the guided missile that is likely Pro Bowl linebacker Roquan Smith, and it also looked like Joey Bosa may have been onto something when he noted that Derek Carr doesn't exactly respond well himself to being bullied physically, as that other Khalil on the Bears can still do.
Sean Desai is settling in nicely as the coordinator on that side, using a creative variety of stunts on the line to free up rushers Sunday while unveiling some three-safety looks as well.
This can be the backbone of something we're supposed to appreciate: stout defense, an offense that doesn't get cute when it doesn't have to and a reliable kicking game. The unpredictable part is how quickly Fields develops (provided he can learn to be smarter about protecting himself) and starts to see more opportunities he can exploit.
It's no revolution or reinvention, but it gives the Bears something they can aspire to keep doing, and it sure beats the misery that it was all too recently.
Dan Bernstein is the co-host of the Bernstein & Rahimi Show on middays from 9 a.m. until noon on 670 The Score. You can follow him on Twitter @Dan_Bernstein.