Looking at the Raiders Defense So Far

The Las Vegas Raiders defense has had spurts of good play, but overall still has similar problems as its had in recent years

It seemed as though this could be the year where the Las Vegas Raiders defense finally rose back to respectability. 

New defensive coordinator Patrick Graham was bringing in a defense that was going to use multiple coverage schemes and be more versatile. 

It hasn't resulted in a ton of change so far, with the Raiders ranking 28th in the NFL in points allowed after five games. 

They still haven't found ways to force more turnovers, having only three, and the Raiders pass defense is one of the worst in the league. 

That hasn't been helped by starting cornerback Anthony Averett being placed on injured reserve after the opening game and safety Trevon Moehrig and corner Rock Ya-Sin missing a combined three games. 

They have been respectable in stopping the run, having the eighth-fewest yards given up and only allowing four yards a carry. 

Having linebackers like the teams leading tackler Divine Deablo and Denzel Perryman who are strongest against the run are necessary for that. 

A good defensive line helps too, but the Raiders have been lacking for support around star defensive end Maxx Crosby. 

Currently tied for the league leads in sacks and tackles for loss with six and 11, respectively, Crosby has essentially been the Raiders pass rush so far. 

Former All-Pro Chandler Jones has started to look better but still has no sacks, and the Raiders don't have another pass rusher with a proven track record. 

And as it was perfectly illustrated last Monday night, the Raiders still can't defend in the red zone, ranking last in red zone defense. 

With the likes of Crosby, Jones, and corner Nate Hobbs, there are good ingredients on this defense, but there still isn't enough depth to help them get to another level. 

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