Return of Vital Raiders Defender Sparks Defensive Improvement

The Las Vegas Raiders were without one of their best defensive pieces for weeks. His return helped keep the team afloat last week and will be critical moving forward.

Sep 24, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Pat Freiermuth (88) runs ahead of Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Divine Deablo (5) and Las Vegas Raiders safety Marcus Epps (1) during the third quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders have been shorthanded nearly the entire season, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

Las Vegas entered the season expecting to have one of the best defenses in the National Football League. Still, injuries immediately impacted the team when they lost defensive end Malcolm Koonce a few days before the first game of the season.

They would lose safety Marcus Epps shortly after to a season-ending injury. However, their most significant loss was losing linebacker Divine Deablo. The veteran linebacker missed the team’s previous three games with an injury and his absence was painfully noticeable.

Outside of defensive end Maxx Crosby and linebacker Robert Spillane, the next most critical player on the Raiders’ defense is Deablo. He possesses a unique skill set that cannot be replicated by anyone the Raiders currently have on their roster. Few linebackers in the NFL can do what Deablo does as a converted defensive back. 

Raiders coach Antonio Pierce noted that the defense brought more energy and effort than they had previously. Pierce credited Deablo with playing well against the Steelers and helping the defense keep the team in the game.

“I thought the energy was good in the first half from our entire team, to be honest, even with the mistakes that happened late in the second quarter,” Pierce said. “I thought the guys' effort was there. The energy, the tackling was really key early on in the game. You saw a lot of Raiders around them. 

“There were some big gentlemen there on the other side that you got to get to their legs quickly and get them down. But I thought Deablo, like we always talked about, moved like a linebacker. Really good job in the coverage on the interception. You watch him, he's reading the quarterback, shuffle, shuffle, and then makes a little burst there, and he makes a hell of a play on the ball.” 

Pierce believes Deablo’s time away helped the veteran heal and see the game from a different perspective. In his return to the field, Deablo looked like his usual, explosive self. He registered six tackles against the Pittsburgh Steelers and had an interception called back by a questionable roughing the passer call.

"I think sometimes when you step away from the game and you're watching from the sideline, you see what the coaches are seeing,” Pierce said. “And, obviously, he stands next to me, and Mike Caldwell, linebacker coach, and there's a lot of coaching going on throughout the game and just things that we're talking about. And then when you get out there, what you saw with somebody that was fresh, explosive. He was very physical. 

“It was really good to see him compliment Robert Spillane, who's been really taking the lead for us in that role and making those plays. And listen, it's a damn shame that the interception didn't count, because he was on his way to having a hell of a game that day with tackles for loss, sacks, big hits. I mean, he was all over the place, and he's healthy and he's fresh, and he's in the right mind space. So, I'm looking forward to him this weekend as well."

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