Why the Raiders’ Defense Can’t Afford Another Repeat Performance

The Las Vegas Raiders' defense must get back to playing its normal brand of football.

Darrell Craig Harris, ON SI

The Las Vegas Raiders are set to take on the Houston Texans on the road this Sunday. Las Vegas looks to snap their eight-game losing streak but will have to do so against one of the better teams in the National Football League.

Raiders Must Improve

As the Raiders season comes to an end over the next few weeks, the chances of them winning another game are slim. Aside from their matchup against the New York Giants, the Raiders face an uphill battle for the rest of the season. This is especially true for the Raiders' offense.

This puts more pressure on the Raiders' defense to make few, if any mistakes. This brand of football has put an immense amount of pressure on Las Vegas' defense this season. It has finally started to catch up to them, as Las Vegas' defense has begun to falter earlier in games than normal.

Dec 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Tank Bigsby (37) runs with the ball during the fourth quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Earlier this week, Raiders Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham took responsibility for getting the most out of his defense. Things have been far from ideal for Graham's defense, but it is still up to him to maximize the talent he has been given. Sunday will be another opportunity for him to do so.

"The biggest thing for me, my job is, again, to get these guys prepared. Whether it's the schematics, whether it's the fundamentals, laying out a plan and a routine for the assistant coaches to make sure that we're working on what we need to work on. So that's part of my job description," Graham said.

“I have to do that. And then having those guys ready to go, both mentally, physically, and emotionally, using my past experience and just what I know about them to get them prepared. And then from there, then we get to the game, I got to put them in the best spot to be successful."

Graham knows the Raiders' defense will be tested again on Sunday against the Texans. However, he also knows both he and his unit must improve from what they have shown over the past few weeks. Las Vegas' only hope is for its defense to hold on long enough for the offense to figure things out.

“So, whether it's by unit going out there, or situationally, having the right call things that nature, and then when you have a season like it's gone so far, I point the finger to me, first and foremost, obviously I haven't done a good enough job. But thankfully, we get 17 opportunities, and each week is different, and we got a good opportunity this week against the tough football team, Houston," Graham said.

Dec 14, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) on the field after loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

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