Raiders DC Patrick Graham on the Challenge Defense Faces in Week 4

The Las Vegas Raiders' defense is battling injuries, but the game must go on. Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham is confident players will step up and play well.

Las Vegas Raiders DC Patrick Graham / Darrell Craig Harris, Sports Illustrated

For the Las Vegas Raiders' defense, not only are they trying to overcome a bad performance this Sunday, but they are also going to overcome key injuries. With defensive end Malcolm Koonce and safety Marcus Epps out for the year, players are going to have to step up.

In addition to the losses of defensive end Malcolm Koonce and safety Marcus Epps, the Raiders will now be without star edge rusher Maxx Crosby and linebacker Divine Deablo, who is missing a second game in a row.

The Raiders have the next-man-up mentality going into Week 4. The coaching staff is confident that the players are ready for the challenge that is presented.

"On defense, you see the top defenses over time in the league, you are dealing with men that can run, physical men, who are long, whether it is legs, arms, it is a big man sport," said Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. "It is always a positive. Each week is brand new. It does not matter what you did before or after. Just dealing with the present, and sometimes, it goes your way, and sometimes it does not. We play to the standards, sometimes we do not. More than likely, it is us, the coaches messing up, or me. So, the big thing is, thankfully, we have 14 more opportunities. This week we will start with the first one that is against Cleveland. I know this, the players, the coaches, we are all here working diligently to improve and get better each day and put our best foot forward for Sunday.

" ... The idea is to make sure you take advantage of any opportunities given to yourself. Unfortunately, you know missing Epps is going to be tough. ... But you got to be ready to step into a role and if it expands, it expands. A lot of times you earn that through your play in practice... With the moving pieces, that is the first thing. We got to know who was in front of us. There is some juggling that around and making sure we know who the people they are going to deploy out there. ... In terms of strategy, you might force some communication on the o-line through different things."

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