The Oakland Raiders’ defense has been under fire lately. In the offseason, it was touted as one of the most improved units in the league, and it was largely expected to be a top-five defense. Instead, through two weeks, it had given up the most yards since 1940 and ranked out as the worst defense in the NFL.
Granted, they’d faced the Saints and the Falcons, two teams who thrive as scoring offenses and also can’t play any defense. In Week 3, they got a chance to go up against the Tennessee Titans, a team more devoted to the run than the pass, and they absolutely showed improvement.
The Raiders did still allow big chunks of yards. When looking strictly at yards, they still average 476.0 allowed per game, which is the worst mark in the league. So let’s not pretend they got this thing fixed overnight.
But there were absolutely some positives, starting with the fact that they only surrendered 10 points to the Titans. In fact, when looking at points allowed, they rank 22nd in the NFL, a full ten spots higher than their yards allowed. They give up 26.3 points per game.
Sure, they’d love to be even higher, but that number is actually pretty good, all things considered. It doesn’t matter how many yards a team covers if you keep them out of the endzone at the end of the drive. The scoreboard is the true indicator of defensive success. With how many yards they give up, they’re at least doing something right to keep the points that low.
September 11, 2016: New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) gets the pass off before being hit by Oakland Raiders linebacker Bruce Irvin (51) during the NFL game between the New Orleans Saints and the Oakland Raiders at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, LA. Oakland Raiders defeat the New Orleans Saints 35-34. (Photo by Stephen Lew/Icon Sportswire)
In the Titans game, that something was making big plays. You’re not forcing many punts when you allow teams to move at will, but the Raiders found other ways to swing the possessions. Safety Reggie Nelson and cornerback Sean Smith nabbed interceptions. Linebacker Bruce Irvin forced a fumble. Defensive end Denico Autry got a sack. They were able to make a red zone stand at the end of the game to preserve the 7-point lead.
They ended drives on their own terms, and that kept the score down.
That doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot of work to do. They still gave up way too many yards, allowing 393 total and 181 net on the ground. DeMarco Murray ran for 114 and a score, finally looking more like the back who played in Dallas and led the league in rushing. They have to clean this stuff up if they actually want to have a top-end defense.
Additionally, the penalty on Titans’ offensive lineman Taylor Lewan may be the only thing that really kept Tennessee out of the end zone. The Raiders still had to make a stand, but they didn’t have to do it on the one-yard line. They get credit for the stop, but it wasn’t all them.
Still, this does show that the plan is starting to work. Nelson and Smith, with their two interceptions, were both guys who were brought in during the offseason overhaul. So was Bruce Irvin, who got the sack. The Raiders aren’t seeing enough out of some of their own stars—Khalil Mack has yet to get a sack on the year—but the pieces they brought in produced all of their big plays on Sunday, and it was those plays that got the win.
Remember, with this many new guys in town, it does sometimes take a bit for things to gel. Guys have to get on the same page, find a team identity. Throw into the mix that they started rookie safety Karl Joseph for the first time and that they’re trying to replace the leadership and production of retired safety Charles Woodson, and it just adds to it. Even with talent, everything doesn’t come together in the first month of the season.
This game, even with its issues, shows that the Raiders are taking positive steps on defense. They’re moving in the right direction, and they should only get better as the year goes on – especially when they actually start getting some contributions from Mack.
