Oakland Raiders: A Closer Look At Some Concerning Numbers

Two

Two, is obviously the number of sacks the Raiders have rung up this year. It’s a disappointing total through two games as it puts them right near the bottom of the league in the category.

What makes it especially galling is that the team spent so much time and energy bringing in and developing talent to surround Khalil Mack and bolster their pass rush. With guys like Bruce Irvin, Jihad Ward, and Shilique Calhoun, the Raiders believed they had a ruthless quarterback killing defensive front.

Except that it hasn’t quite panned out that way just yet.

Irvin collected his lone sack in week one, and in week two, Stacy McGee registered a sack on Atlanta’s Matt Ryan. Mack has yet to record a sack – though he has had a number of near misses.

But near misses don’t count and the Raiders – despite all of their upgrades – are still one of the worst in the league when it comes to sacking the quarterback. And that’s something that needs to change in a hurry.

If they can get their heads – and their play – right, they may have a chance to get their sack machine started. The Titans gave up a whopping 54 sacks last season – 38 on Marcus Mariota alone. So far this season, they’ve given up five.

Which means that if Oakland’s defensive front can get a push, they very well could put Mariota on his back a few times on Sunday. But they’ll need to get a big push – which has been the challenge so far this year.