No room for error, Raiders defense needs to make stops. A look at the key problems
If ever the Las Vegas Raiders’ defense was going to turn in a solid run of performances, this stretch of four games to close the 2020 regular season would be the time to do it.
It is more important than ever with the playoffs on the line for a franchise that hasn’t made the postseason since 2016.
While the Raiders’ offense has done well this season, it is on the other side of the ball where Las Vegas needs a big jolt to give the team any hopes of pulling out a Week 14 win against the Colts.
The Raiders (7-5) face Indianapolis (8-4) in a key AFC matchup with all kinds of postseason implications at 1:05 p.m. PST Sunday (KGPE-47) at Allegiant Stadium.
Is there a sense of urgency for the Raiders defense?
“I think need everybody needs to have a sense of urgency in the NFL, or you get your block knocked off,” Raiders coach Jon Gruden said Friday. “We got to play better in all phases, we got to coach better, we got to be ready. There is a lot of chips on the table.”
The defense will need to unveil some aces against the Colts, whose notable victories on this year’s schedule include wins over the Green Bay Packers and Tennessee Titans.
In contrast, the Raiders have nearly matched the Colts’ record mostly on the strength of an offense that keyed big victories over the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs.
But the Raiders had to turn to prayer in a 31-28 victory over the New York Jets, finding it answered via Derek Carr’s 46-yard Hail Mary to Henry Ruggs III with 5 seconds remaining.
The defense had faltered, allowing the Jets’ Sam Darnold to throw his first touchdowns since Week 3. He had two TD passes in the first half and guided the Jets to a late score and the lead before the Raiders’ comeback.
The Jets’ rushing attack had its way until the Raiders stopped the run in the final 2 minutes, allowing Las Vegas to get the ball back. The Raiders wound up surrendering 206 rushing yards to the Jets.
That can’t happen against the Colts, nor, for that matter, against the teams the Raiders will face in the next three games.
Missed tackles an issue
The Raiders defense will need to start fast and respond often, rather than waiting till nearly the end of the game as it did against the winless Jets.
And that includes better tackling.
Las Vegas has the fifth-most missed tackles with 103, according to Pro Football Focus.
The teams that have allowed more: Philadelphia Eagles (110), Houston Texans (106), Minnesota Vikings (105) and Detroit Lions (104). Three of those four have losing records.
Cornerback Trayvon Mullen and safety Johnathan Abram have 12 and 10 missed tackles, respectively.
The Raiders will need to end that season-long plague.
Sacks lacking as Raiders face Philip Rivers
Having defensive end Clelin Ferrell back in the defensive rotation certainly helps.
The Raiders were 0-2 without Ferrell while he was on the COVID-19 list.
In his return, Ferrell recorded his first sack of the season, forcing a fumble against the Jets.
He had another strip-sack of Darnold, with that fumble being recovered by Maxx Crosby with 40 seconds remaining in the first half.
But the Raiders as a team are 29th in the league with 15 sacks, just ahead of the Titans and Cincinnati Bengals.
The Raiders have 189 total pressures this season, tied for 17th, and are 14th with 126 hurries.
The Raiders will need to keep the heat on Philip Rivers.
Las Vegas can look back at the 2019 season for a blueprint on how to disrupt the eight-time Pro Bowl quarterback.
The Raiders pressured Rivers, then with the Chargers, and finished with seven sacks, four hits, 16 hurries (27 total pressures) and three interceptions in a 26-24 win.
Sure, it’s a different offensive line Rivers is behind, but the Raiders are familiar with him and know his tendencies.
“He’s just playing at a high level,” Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther said. “He can get them in and out of good plays, so there are not really many bad plays at the line of scrimmage, and he’s seen just about everything. So again, this will be a big challenge for us. It’s a big game.”
Steering clear of big plays
The Raiders are 22nd in the NFL in total defense, giving up 379.2 yards per game.
The Las Vegas secondary can help by cutting down the number of big plays it allows through the air.
The Raiders’ passing defense is ranked 24th, giving up 257.1 yards per game. They have 10 interceptions, tying them with four other teams in just about the middle of the league rankings.
At least when it comes to recent NFL history, the Raiders haven’t been known for their defense, with a few notable exceptions.
The Raiders were sixth in the league in 2002 under then defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan. They were 19th in the NFL in 2001 and ninth in 2000.
With just the four games left, the Raiders probably won’t be able to move that far up the team defensive lists this year. But the defense can still make its mark in those and any potential postseason games.
This story was originally published December 12, 2020 at 5:26 PM.
