Oakland Raiders: Five Things They Must Do To Beat The Cowboys

Defense Needs To “Let It Rip”

The defense has definitely shown signs of life with Pagano taking control of the (finally) fired Ken Norton Jr. It would have been nice if the axe had dropped a lot earlier, but what can you do?

Pagano is doing a far better job at getting his pass rushers loose and letting them do what they do best – create chaos in the backfield. As mentioned previously, with Pagano running the defense, Oakland has racked up 12 sacks in the past three games.

Bruce Irvin leads the way with five, Khalil Mack has added three, and Denico has had a hat trick over that span. Suffice it to say, by moving guys around up front and varying the looks he’s giving the offense, Pagano is making things work for this Raiders defense.

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To beat Dallas, we’re going to need to see a lot more of that bold aggressiveness from Pagano’s unit. After getting lit up by Kareem Hunt and the Chiefs to the tune of 165 yards, we’re going to need to see a commitment to stopping a very solid Dallas running game that’s clocking in at just over 120 yards per game.

We’re also going to need to see tight coverage on some very good Dallas receivers. The Raiders are going to need to find an answer for both Dez Bryant and Jason Witten – both of whom are very, very good at what they do.

Sean Smith and/or David Amerson might match up a little better with the larger, more physical Bryant, but given Oakland’s trouble history covering tight ends, if the defense doesn’t buckle down, Witten could be in line for a big game.

But the defense can help mitigate the impact both Bryant and Witten have on the game if they can make a push, shut down the running game, and get in Prescott’s face – and stay there. They need to let it rip and hit Prescott early and often. They need to get him off his spot, moving, and make him feel uncomfortable.

If they can do that, good things can happen. If they don’t – well – not so good things can happen. As we’ve seen time and time again this season.