Looking at the Las Vegas Raiders Defense So Far

The Las Vegas Raiders defense has gone through its struggles but has also shown they can make plays when it matters

The Las Vegas Raiders have gotten off to a 3-2 start this season largely thanks to a well-balanced offense that is in the top 10 in the league in scoring.

When it comes to the Raiders defense, it hasn’t been the most consistent unit,  to say the least. 

After the win over the Kansas City Chiefs, the Raiders have given up a little more than 30 points a game, which ranks 27th in the NFL.

The Silver and Black also is 24th in total yards allowed, 26th in passing yards allowed, 21st in rushing yards allowed, and ranks dead last in the league in rushing touchdowns allowed.

The Raiders also have generated only three turnovers and have just six sacks in five games. 

On the surface, the Raiders defense would seem to be lackluster. Go deeper, however, and you will find they’ve been able to make stops when the team has really needed it.

Look no further than the game against Kansas City, in which it took the Chiefs to nearly the end of the game to score their only points of the second half.

In a tie game, the Raiders offense punted on their first two drives of the second half. 

If it wasn’t for the defense finding ways to “mix it up”, as defensive end Maxx Crosby put it, the game could have easily swung back to the Chiefs.

The  Raiders have made key stops like stuffing Alex Armah on fourth down to seal the game against the Carolina Panthers in Week 1, and flummoxing Drew Bress for the majority of their Monday Night Football game against the New Orleans Saints.

We also have to remember that this is a young defense, especially in the secondary. 

The Raiders also have dealt with injuries, with starters like cornerback Damon Arnette, linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski and defensive tackle Maliek Collins all having missed time.

There's no doubt the Raiders can make plays when they need to, and this is a defense that's not afraid, either. 

Qualities like that are important for a young defense to keep its confidence even when it is going through rough patches.

All they need now is for players like Crosby to continue to heat up and for the rest to get healthy. 

If they can do that, then it might not be the Raiders offense that gets the most attention. 

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