Raiders Opponent Defensive Star: Ja'Whaun Bentley

The Las Vegas Raiders will face top New England Patriots linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley on Sunday.

The Las Vegas Raiders are set to host the New England Patriots at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday.

The Patriots come into this game having lost their last two games in blowout fashion, scoring only three points total in those two defeats.

While the Patriots are struggling this season, they are still a solid defensive team. Coach Bill Belichick is always certain to have a tough defense.

Part of what has made their defense so good has been the play of linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley,who has emerged in his role as the middle linebacker for Belichick’s defense.

New England selected Bentley in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Purdue. He played sparingly for the first few seasons of his career, but earned a starting role in 2020 and played well. Bentley has been the Patriots’ starter at that position since.

Bentley is off to a good start this season, posting 36 total tackles, three tackles for losses, three quarterback hits, two passes defended and a sack. He was one of the Patriots’ few bright spots in their most recent loss to the Saints, with 11 total tackles and a sack.

Standing at 6-foot-2 and weighing 250 pounds, Bentley carries good size for his position and possesses great athleticism. He has an aggressive play style and likes to seek out contact, flying downfield to make tackles on ball carriers and showing enough speed to hold up in coverage.

Throughout his career, Bentley has posted 419 tackles, 19 tackles for losses, 10 passes defended, three forced fumbles, and six and a half sacks. He has been quite the success story, going from a fifth-round selection to a productive starter on one of the best defenses in the league.

In last season’s game against the Raiders, Bentley posted 10 total tackles and a sack of quarterback Derek Carr at the end of the third quarter. He will look to make his impact felt again on Sunday.

Bentley and the Patriots' defense has done its job to keep the Patriots in games. Being the middle linebacker and having to communicate throughout the entire defense, Bentley has been the engine for one of the top units in the league.

The Silver and Black will stay home at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas to play the New England Patriots on Sunday, Oct. 15, at 4:05 p.m. EDT/1:05 p.m. PDT.

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