Back in Week 8, the Las Vegas Raiders allowed just six points against the Cleveland Browns. While we knew the weather conditions aided them, we didn’t know how much. After giving up 26 points in Week 8, we now know their defensive stand against the Browns was an outlier.
The Raiders can’t stop opposing offenses
The Raiders defense is a liability, there’s no way around that. The unit had given up at least 30 points in five of their last seven games. Things took a surprising turn when they surrendered a mere six points against the Browns. However, the group surrendered 440 total yards and 27 points against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 9.
Giving up 400 yards isn’t that bad, a defense can let an offense move as long as it doesn’t score. The problem is that the Raiders are allowing both yards and points in chunks. It’s true that they have dealt with injuries but every team does, it’s an inherent part of the sport. They can blame injuries and lack of execution by players but the coaching staff has to become accountable at some point.
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Chargers rookie quarterback Justin Hebert moved the ball with ease and had no trouble finding his wide receivers. The Oregon standout is talented, but he shouldn’t have been able to shred the Raiders secondary the way he did. The Raiders defensive front sacked him twice, but the unit as a whole couldn’t stop him from scoring.
The Raiders should be pleased about their 5-3 record and their ability to put points on the scoreboard. Nevertheless, they should be concerned with their defense. Their formula to win games has worked so far, but it won’t always work. While the results haven’t been the best, there is enough time for the coaching staff to make changes if they want to make a deep playoff run.
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