Quarterback Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers came into Allegiant Stadium and decimated the Las Vegas Raiders through the air.
It’s an understatement to say that the Raiders defense struggled last Sunday. The unit was not able to do much to slow down the Bucs’ passing attack. In fact, Brady left Las Vegas virtually unscathed. There’s plenty of blame to go around when it comes to this porous group of defenders. At least one positive is that cornerback Trayvon Mullen continued his solid play. However, as you can see from the final score, it was not enough.
Mullen alone cannot shut down opposing offenses. He can certainly hold one side of the field, but what’s the point when the rest of the defense is getting ripped to shreds?
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The Raiders Passing Defense Needs Help
Moving forward, it is obvious that the Raiders’ pass defense still needs a lot of help. Safety Erik Harris should not be on the field, much less starting for the Raiders. Jeff Heath, the hero of the Kansas City Chiefs game, did not fare well on Sunday.
Missing Johnathan Abram clearly hurt the team but while this shows his importance, it also highlights the lack of depth. The fact that the defensive line was unable to generate any pressure only served to expose the pass defense. This could’ve not come against a worse opponent than Brady, needless to say, the Raiders came crashing back down to Earth.
Jerry McDonald of the Mercury News said it best, ‘Any optimism that came from the the second half bum’s rush against Patrick Mahomes evaporated.‘ Heading into Week 8, Abram, their heat seeking missile, will return but in all seriousness, will it be enough? If the team hopes to remain in playoff contention, the pass defense will have to make a stop, maybe two.
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*Top Photo: Las Vegas Raiders Official YouTube Channel