Oakland Raiders: A Closer Look At Some Concerning Numbers

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On average, the Raiders defense is giving up eight yards per play. Which goes a long way to explaining why they’ve given up as many yards and points as they have in this young season. Teams are getting everything they want from this Raiders defense and then some.

Most of the damage has been done through the air, obviously. But Oakland’s run defense hasn’t exactly been rock solid either. In two games this season, the Raiders have given up 227 yards on the ground – 113.5 per game. And this was to two teams who don’t exactly feature their running game, relying more on their passing attack.

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But oh, that pass defense. 404 yards per game and a secondary that has already surrendered seven touchdowns through the air. Very clearly, that’s not going to get it done. That’s not going to come close to getting it done.

The key to solving Oakland’s defensive problems begin up front. That defensive front needs to get a strong push up the gut. They need to collapse the pocket around Mariota and force him to throw on the move. Or they just need to put him down.

Either way, this defense needs to step up. They need to stuff Tennessee’s running game and hold them below their 4.4 yards per carry average. They need to put the clamps on Mariota and a passing attack that while not spectacular, is respectable, checking in with 238 yards per game.

The Raiders need their defense to come ready to play. They simply cannot afford to continue giving up eight yards a play and expect to win. They could win, as they showed in New Orleans. But if they allow the Titans to roll up and down the field at will, they could be looking at another game like the one against Atlanta.

Eight yards per play is completely unacceptable. Jack Del Rio and Ken Norton Jr. need to get this defense together. They need to shut down Tennessee’s offense and have a dominating defensive performance – the kind many of us thought they could have this season.