Bend but Don't Break Defense Only Works if the Offense Does

The Las Vegas Raiders' defense has carried the team this season. On Sunday, they needed help from their offense and did not get it.

Through the season's first seven games, the Las Vegas Raiders' defense kept the Silver and Black in almost every game. It hasn't always been pretty, but the Raiders' defense has been a bright spot this season. 

In their ugly loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday, the Las Vegas defense missed many tackles, helping Chicago extend drives, not to mention plenty of other things, as they could have done much better. 

"There were opportunities for us to kind of make a stand near the line of scrimmage for one-or two-yard gains, what have you," Coach Josh McDaniels said. "We missed way too many tackles; we over-pursued. All those things are not conducive to playing good run defense.

"Give [the Bears] credit, they had a good plan. They did a good job of trying to stay balanced, kept the young quarterback in a situation that was really ideal for him. We were trying to create maybe some third and longs to put him under some pressure, but it never really materialized."

Chicago's offense converted on eight of 13 third-down opportunities. The Bears' offense ran for almost 200 yards, controlling the game. That falls on the defense's shoulders.

"Control of the game was important today," McDaniels said. "They gained control of the game, I'd say somewhere in the second quarter. on"

Sunday, Las Vegas' defense didn't play their best game but still did enough to keep the Raiders in the game. While missed tackles and other deficiencies of the defense were on full display, it is unrealistic to always expect a great performance from your defense. 

When General Manager Dave Ziegler and McDaniels constructed this defense, they did so, assuming their offense would be at least serviceable. Seven weeks in, that has not been the case. 

While their poor play against the Bears rests on their shoulders, Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham's defense is not built to overcome Las Vegas' lackluster offense every week. 

Through seven games, the Raiders' offense has scored 13 points or fewer in the first half each time. In three of their seven games, the offense has scored seven points or fewer in the first half, and they still haven't scored more than 20 points in a game as an offense. 

On Sunday, the Raiders' offense scored three points through three quarters, leaving their defense on the field for more than half of the game. Most defenses would miss a lot of tackles in that situation. 

No football team can sustain the style of play Las Vegas has played through the first seven games of this season. Complimentary football is not a luxury; it is necessary for teams that plan to win or at least be competitive. 

The Silver and Black will stay on the road to take on the Detroit Lions on Monday night, October 30, at 8:15 p.m. EDT/5:15 p.m. PDT.

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