There was a time not that long ago when the Raiders’ defense was being talked about as possibly one of the best in the NFL.
The team returned 10 starters from a group that surrendered the ninth-fewest points in the league in 2023. The lone newcomer was dominant defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, who was given a four-year, $110 million contract in free agency.
The hope was that Wilkins would join the Raiders’ strong defensive core — a group that consisted of defensive end Maxx Crosby, linebacker Robert Spillane, cornerbacks Jack Jones and Nate Hobbs and safeties Tre’von Moehrig and Marcus Epps — to make a good unit even better in 2024.
That hasn’t happened.
The Raiders are allowing 28.5 points per game this season, the fourth-most in the NFL. They have the fourth-most missed tackles in the league with 81.
The Raiders are also 22nd in the NFL in third-down defense and 26th in red-zone defense.
The team’s latest ugly performance came in a 34-19 loss to the Dolphins on Nov. 17. Miami didn’t punt once and had three scoring drives of 14 plays or longer.
It’s no longer a question of whether the Raiders’ defense is bad. It’s more a matter of why.
The answer is complicated. Here are some reasons why the team’s defense has disappointed:
Injuries
The Raiders’ goal on defense this year was to apply maximum pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
It looked like they had the personnel to do so. Crosby had 14½ sacks and 50 pressures last season and finished fourth in the voting for defensive player of the year. Defensive end Malcolm Koonce added eight sacks and 23 pressures. Wilkins had nine sacks and 30 pressures with the Dolphins.
The Raiders were counting on the trio to provide similar numbers this season. Injuries sabotaged the chances of that happening.
Koonce suffered a knee injury before the team’s season opener and hasn’t played all year. Wilkins hasn’t stepped on the field since suffering a foot injury in Week 5. Crosby has been dealing with a high ankle sprain almost all season and has 3½ sacks in six games since sitting out Week 4 against the Browns.
That means the defensive line the Raiders were dreaming of never came together. The team has had to rely on depth players like Tyree Wilson, Charles Snowden and K’Lavon Chaisson to get after opposing quarterbacks.
It hasn’t been a recipe for success. The Raiders are tied for the fourth-fewest sacks in the league (19) and have the fifth-fewest quarterback pressures (69).
It hasn’t helped that the secondary has lost players as well. Epps suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 3. Hobbs went down with an ankle injury in Week 9 and hasn’t played since. Starting cornerback Jakorian Bennett is out for Sunday’s game against the Broncos with a shoulder injury.
“I mean, every coordinator is dealing with it, and that’s part of the job,” defensive coordinator Patrick Graham said. “It’s a collision sport.”
Graham’s right that injuries happen in the NFL. But the Raiders had no chance to execute their vision on defense this season given the obstacles they’ve faced.
“That same defense is not here,” Pierce said. “First and foremost, let’s call a spade a spade. That’s the truth.”
Offense isn’t helping
The Raiders’ defensive struggles have also been exacerbated by the way the offense has played.
The team is tied for the most turnovers in the NFL this season with the Cowboys (20). But that isn’t even the worst part. Opponents are beginning their drives at the Raiders’ 40-yard-line, on average, after a turnover. It’s no wonder they also lead the league in points allowed off turnovers (79).
The Raiders’ offense also ranks just 25th in time of possession in regulation (28:48). That means the defense is on the field longer than it should be, draining a group that’s already short on depth thanks to injuries.
The Raiders are giving up 15.6 points per game in the second half this season, the second-worst mark in the NFL.
The defense isn’t interested in blaming the offense, however.
“You can always make excuses and point to other things, but it’s just about details,” Crosby said.
Pierce echoed Crosby’s thoughts.
“I’m not going to put it on offense. It’s team struggles to be honest,” Pierce said. “Because last week the offense was moving the ball and they did a good job. And we needed some stops in the third quarter and in the fourth quarter defensively and we didn’t do it, right? It was the one game where the offense gave us a chance to be competitive in that game throughout. So, really, it’s the team overall.”
Backups aren’t delivering
The Raiders selected Wilson seventh overall in the 2023 draft.
They knew a foot injury he suffered his final season in college would slow him down his rookie year, but they believed in his potential. Wilson did play better in the final month of the 2023 campaign and the Raiders were counting on him to make progress this year.
He hasn’t developed as hoped.
Wilson has just two sacks and seven quarterback pressures in 263 snaps. He was supposed to spell Crosby and Koonce at times this season and occasionally slide inside on passing downs, but Koonce’s injury gave him the chance to step up into a full-time role.
Wilson hasn’t done enough to earn it. He is instead rotating with Snowden and Chaisson.
Time is still on Wilson’s side and the Raiders remain hopeful. But he hasn’t filled the void that Koonce left behind.
“I joke with the defensive staff all the time, I wish defensive linemen could go to the minor leagues and get blocked for a few games,” Graham said. “Because again, I always talk about in college, most of the guys at this level, they didn’t really get blocked. They never had to deal with blockers of this caliber.”
The Raiders hope more of their young players emerge as the season goes on. The fact they aren’t getting much production from their depth is one reason why the defense has regressed this season, along with injuries and an offense that hasn’t provided much help.
“Is it disappointing? Yeah, I would say so, because everybody expected what we saw there at the end of the (2023) season,” Pierce said. “But (Koonce) is not out there. (Wilkins) is not out there. (Epps) is not out there. (Bennett) is not out there. There’s a lot of guys – (Hobbs) is not out there. We’re missing pieces and it’s no excuse, but if you want to ask me directly, that’s part of the problem.”
Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X
