Can ya smell it? A new season is officially upon us. Hopes of your favorite franchise will never be as high as they are at this very moment. With that in mind, allow me to approach the ledge and dive with style and grace: The Las Vegas Raiders‘ retooled defensive line will finish first in sacks for the 2024 season.
Maxx “Zebrahead” Crosby and Co. will be the key to any true success the Raiders experience over the next four months. With the inclusion of free agent defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, we should see an even more charged up No. 98 off the edge.
Add in Malcolm Koonce in a contract year, and.. whatever Tyree Wilson does, and you’ve got one of the best D-Lines in football. Now before I’m told to pump the brakes, allow me to give my own take the ‘8 Mile treatment’.
According to ESPN Analytics, Las Vegas finished 24th in pass rush win rate. If you include the sack total added with the aforementioned Wilkins signing, the Raiders would’ve finished tied for third with 56.
However, this confidence comes not just from the Raiders roster, but their schedule.
The Las Vegas Raiders should maul inferior offensive lines all season long
One of the key reasons why pundits are down on the Raiders’ chances of success in 2024 is strength of schedule. Not only will they face seven playoff teams from last year, but also teams expecting big turnarounds due to health or offseason acquisitions (Bengals and Falcons).
Yes, there are very talented rosters in front of first-year Head Coach Antonio Pierce’s Impala Posse, but how well do they pass block?
While the Raiders will face four of the top-10 finishers in pass block win rate last season, they’ll face six of the bottom-10 in the same category. If we were to expand that to just the bottom-half of the league in general, the number jumps up to nine.
Las Vegas will have the luxury of a trench advantage in nine of their 17 scheduled contests per 2023’s pass block win rate. Teams like the Chargers could improve with additions such as first-rounder Joe Alt, but should we assume the Chiefs, for example, won’t regress with rookie Kingsley protecting Patrick Mahomes’ blindside after finishing 2023 first via PBWR?
Sacks Could Come In Bunches
Sadly, we know Week 1 won’t be a sack-a-thon. There are, however, weeks where the totals could be plentiful. Offensive lines like the Panthers, Saints, and aforementioned Bengals haven’t made enough improvement to fend off a ravenous Raider front-four. Last year, the blitz-happy Ravens led the NFL with 60 sacks. The Raiders are more than capable of both flirting with and eclipsing that number in 2024.
The Autumn Wind has arrived, and it is ready to pillage opposing offensive fronts.
*Top Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports