Oakland Raiders: The good, bad, and ugly in week eight loss to Colts
By Kevin Saito
Ugly: That Run Defense
Oakland’s run defense is only listed as “ugly,” simply because there is no stronger word we can use in a family-friendly forum such as this.
For the second time this season, Oakland’s run defense gave up more than 200 yards in a game. It was the fifth time in seven games the Raiders run defense has been pushed around for more than 140 yards in a game.
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On the season, Oakland’s run defense ranks dead last in the league, giving up an average of 145 yards per game. They’ve also given up eight rushing touchdowns, the twenty-seventh most in the league. Not having their best run-stuffer in Justin Ellis hurts, but this defensive line has not had anybody step up to fill that void very well.
Or, at all, really.
Indianapolis’ offensive line manhandled Oakland’s front line defenders. The Raiders got pushed around, knocked back, and blown off the ball. Colts running back Marlon Mack gashed Oakland for 132 yards and two scores on 25 carries – a healthy average of 5.3 yards per carry, if you’re scoring at home. Mack’s backup, Nyheim Hines chipped in with 71 yards on 11 carries, for an average of 7.1 yards per carry.
It was all part of an effort that saw Indianapolis gouge the Raiders for 222 total yards on 40 carries – a bloated average of 5.6 yards per carry.
Saying Oakland’s run defense is bad, or porous, is vastly understating the case. It’s actually non-existent. And is something this team needs to fix sooner, rather than later.