Raiders Defense Has Talked the Talk, Now Must Walk It

LAS VEGAS, Nev.-- Although they were again consistently put in bad situations by the Las Vegas Raiders' turnovers on offense, the Raiders' defense has several things to clean up following last Sunday's loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

With the team on a four-game losing streak and the 1-4 Tennessee Titans coming to town, Raiders Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham knows the defense must step up.

Watch Patrick Graham discuss all of this below.

Q: Pete Carroll mentioned that Charles Snowden was a guy who is expected to step up in place of Germaine Pratt. When you look at Charles Snowden and kind of what he's been doing in that outside linebacker type of position, what have you seen from him that you really liked?

Graham: "The one thing that Snow [Charles Snowden] did a great job of last year and has continued, we asked him, the physicality, to show us that. He has the length. He has all the measurables. Wanted to see the physicality, and he answered that in terms of displaying it in practice, t roughout training camp and even when he got into the game.

So, that's a positive, and then tohave the flexibility as outside linebacker, to be able to play coverage, rush, be productive in terms of batted balls. This guy, he got his hand on ball last week. He does it in practice all the time. And then, I honestly think the big guys, especially the edge guys like the Maxx [Crosby], the Malcolm's [Koonce], their energy is contagious. So, he's a great energy guy in terms of how he works out there on the field. He's vocal, works hard, he flies around the field. When you see those long bodies flying around the field, it picks up the defense, picks up the team."

nfl — Aug 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Q: How do you work on improving on third down? Is it situational football?

Graham: "The thing to focus on, make it less manageable third downs. You look at last week, like five or six of them were four or less. So, to me, it's me doing a better job of those second-and-10s that we're forcing and give them to get them to be third-and-10, so it starts there and then putting the players in the best position to execute for what they do best. But really took a hard look at those second down plays, because we're forcing a lot of second-and-10s because the guys are doing a good job on the run game on first-and-10, they're staying back on the early on pass game in terms of no shots, so do a better job there with those second downs."

Q: The defense has caused some tip balls and some batted balls, like you mentioned with Charles Snowden, but they're not coming up with the turnover. Is that just, ‘It's coming, it's coming. It's going to come in bunches.' Or how do you generate more to those turnovers? Graham: "Here's what I would tell you, I'm so tired, I'm trying to be mindful of my language, of talking about whatever it is we got to do.

nfl — Aug 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason NFL game at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Graham: “That's how they feel. We got to do. So, I could talk about, ‘We're doing this, that.’ We just got to make it happen. Got to take the ball away. However it happens, that's what we got to do. So, that's how I'm talking to them. You can see my whole mood and demeanor change. Done talking. We got to do. We're unlucky. I mean, the language I would use right now, F that. But no, we got to do. Just win, baby. You just got to do it. That's what we got to do."

Find us on X (formerly Twitter) @HondoCarpenter and @EZTrez_SI and weigh in.

While here, check out our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE to discuss this take