REPORT: The Truth About the Raiders Defense

The Las Vegas Raiders have been led by their defense since last season. The unit has held up its end of the bargain, again.

Dec 22, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders safety Thomas Harper (34) celebrates in the fourth quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

After returning every starter except one, with the lone new starter being one of the best defensive tackles in the National Football League, the Las Vegas Raiders entered the season with high hopes on the defensive side of the ball.

However, those hopes would be short-lived.

Unfortunately, the unit was ravaged by injuries early and often. Considering the expected struggles with a new quarterback and offensive coordinator, the injuries to the Raiders' defense were the worst-case scenario for head coach Antonio Pierce and the Raiders.

Sterling Xie of the Pro Football Network noted that the Raiders' defense has steadily improved their play over the previous month despite lacking talent.

The Raiders' defense has lost nearly half of its starters throughout the season to injury and is a far cry from the unit with which the Silver and Black started the season. Still, Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has done an admirable job getting the most out of a highly shorthanded unit.

"The Las Vegas Raiders are one of the most talent-poor defenses in the NFL, particularly after the injuries they’ve suffered," Xie said. "With Maxx Crosby out for the season and Christian Wilkins playing only five games all year, there’s not much star power for Antonio Pierce to lean on."

"Still, the Raiders are taking advantage of a soft schedule to finish strong for the second straight year. Las Vegas posted a 76.8 (C) grade vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars, their second top-10 finish in the last month. They’ve also ranked in the top half of all defenses in four of the last five weeks.

"This is a little reminiscent of last year’s strong finish that earned Pierce the full-time job, albeit without as many wins. The Raiders ranked fifth in Defense+ last year after Pierce became the interim coach, and since returning from their Week 12 bye, rank seventh in Defense+.

While the defense has improved over the second half of the season as it did last season, Xie noted that may not be enough for Pierce to keep his job past this season.

"That alone shouldn’t guarantee Pierce a second full season, particularly if more wins don’t follow," Xie said. "But it’s interesting that Las Vegas’ defense has shown notable improvement down the stretch for the second straight year, even without particularly inspiring personnel."

Against the injured New Orleans Saints, the Raiders continued their dominance. They held their opponent to just 10 points.

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