Oakland Raiders: Five Things That Must Happen Against New England
By Kevin Saito
Make Brady Uncomfortable
This might be a tall task for a defensive group that just allowed Jay Cutler to complete 81 percent of his passes for more than 300 yards and a touchdown hat trick.
But, if the Raiders want to give themselves a chance in this game, they’re going to have to find a way to do what they’ve not been able to do all season long – apply constant and consistent pressure on the quarterback.
Getting Brady moving off his spots, not letting him get into a rhythm, and getting in his face is imperative for this group.
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Brady has a quick release and an offense that plays to that strength. Short, quick passes have been a staple of the Patriots offense for years. It’s not all that flashy, but they’re so efficient at it, that it’s lethal.
However, New England’s offensive line is far from perfect – they’ve given up 22 sacks on the year. In New England’s two losses this season, the first to Kansas City and the second to Carolina, New England gave up three sacks in each game. And in a third, very near loss to Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans, Brady was dropped another five times.
That’s eleven sacks in three games – two losses, and one they came very close to losing.
Those three defenses forced Brady to hold onto the ball a beat or two longer than he normally does, giving their pass rushers the time they needed to get to the quarterback. And it paid tremendous dividends for all three teams.
To have similar success and hopefully, emerge from Mexico City with a win, the Raiders are going to need to duplicate those efforts. They will need to find a way to make Brady hold onto the ball for a couple of seconds longer, giving Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin a chance to get to him.
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Not only that, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to send a blitz more often than they do. Oakland seems to only call a blitz once in a blue moon. Mixing in a few more blitzes and giving the Patriots some different looks might be the difference between Brady being able to sit in the pocket and pick the defense apart, and getting him moving and out of rhythm.
To give themselves a chance in this game, this defensive group is going to have to dig deep and find a way to stand tall against an offensive juggernaut like New England. They’re going to have to find a way to bend without breaking, make Brady uncomfortable, and keep this team in the game.