Oakland Raiders: Defensive Dumpster Fire Burning Out Of Control

The Oakland Raiders, with a chance to start the season 2-0, laid an absolute defensive egg against the Falcons and lost a winnable game.

For all of the work that went into creating their defense this offseason, the Oakland Raiders have come out of the gate not with a roar, like we all thought they would – but with a whimper. The Raiders spent a considerable amount of energy, not to mention money, to upgrade a defensive unit that needed a little help. Though last season’s defensive unit was improved over previous versions, it seemed that there were still a couple of missing pieces.

With that in mind, the GM Reggie McKenzie and HC Jack Del Rio went out and picked up the likes of Sean Smith, Bruce Irvin, and Reggie Nelson. They also added Shilique Calhoun and Jihad Ward in the draft, with the hopes of bolstering a pass rush in dire need of some help.

Anticipation and expectations were high before the start of the season. On paper, this looked like one of the more tenacious and ferocious defenses the Raiders had fielded in quite some time. Of course, as we all know, there is a galaxy of difference between how something looks on paper and how it looks on the field of play.

Live Feed

SideLion Report

And if the early returns are any indication, the version on paper is far better than the flesh and blood version.

Last week, Oakland’s defensive unit surrendered 507 total yards to Drew Brees and the Saints. Give the Raiders credit though, they hung in there, traded blows, and wound up pulling out a game that they easily could have lost. A game they would have lost in past seasons.

But still – 507 yards. And 419 of those yards were through the air.

We all thought the mismatches might have been at the root of the problem. David Amerson and Sean Smith are big, rangy corners who aren’t exactly the most fleet of foot. Small, shifty receivers like Willie Snead and Brandin Cooks present problems for bigger, slower corners because of their size. And the Saints took full advantage of that.

Surely, we all though, with bigger receivers more their own size in Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu, Smith and Amerson would bounce back and have a solid game.

Yeah, not so much, as it turns out.

Against another high powered offense in Matt Ryan and the Falcons, the Raiders defense surrendered 528 yards of offense. And of those 528 yards, 389 came through the air.

So, if you happen to be scoring at home, this revamped and allegedly formidable newfangled Raiders secondary has given up 808 passing yards and seven touchdowns. In two games.

Yeah, let that sink in for a minute. 808 yards through the air – an average of 404 yards a game – and seven touchdowns.

The Raiders were fortunate last week against the Saints. The offense made plays when they had to and they answered the bell every single time New Orleans challenged them. They had to because the defense certainly wasn’t doing it.

More from Golden Gate Sports

• Raiders: Rookie stock report following Week 3 performance
• 49ers sign new long snapper amidst a flurry of roster moves
• Oakland Athletics win Game 2 of Wild Card round with late-inning drama
• 49ers: George Kittle and Deebo Samuel cleared to return to practice
• 49ers expected to place DE Dee Ford on injured reserve

This week though, Oakland learned that you can only play with fire so long before you get burned. And burned badly.

For most of the day, the offense looked out of sync and out of rhythm. But give them credit, every time the Falcons made a play, Derek Carr led this offense down the field to answer back. Latavius Murray, Amari Cooper, Michael Crabtree, Jamize Olawale, and Clive Walford, among others, stepped up and made plays when they had to.

But every single time they did, the defense turned around and gave it up.

Whether he was being covered by Smith, Amerson, or the peanut vendor, Julio Jones simply made play after play. He caught five balls on five targets for 106 yards and a score. And Austin Hooper and Jacob Tamme – challenging the notion that Oakland’s troubles with the tight end were a thing of the past – combined for eight receptions on 11 targets for 159 yards and a score.

Even the run defense, which seemed relatively stout last week in only giving up 88 yards to the Saints, allowed 139 rushing yards and a touchdown to Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman.

Though not firing on all cylinders, Oakland’s offense made plays when they had to. The defense on the other hand, barely made a play all game long. They just couldn’t stop the Atlanta offense and it cost this Raiders team the game and a chance at their first 2-0 start since 2002.

Given all of the upgrades over the offseason, many believed the defense was going to be a source of strength for this team this season. Khalil Mack even said they had the ability to be as good as Denver’s defense and we all believed him.

Next: Raiders Continue To Be Their Own Worst Enemy

But two games into the season and the Raiders aren’t looking anything like the defensive force we thought they’d be. They’re looking like what they are at the moment – the worst defense in the entire NFL.

It’s a long season, so this is not a “the sky is falling” moment just yet. They will have plenty of opportunities to right the ship. But if they don’t correct their issues on that side of the ball – and correct them quickly – the sky will indeed be falling. And their season along with it.