Oakland Raiders: 5 things that must improve against the Arizona Cardinals
By Kevin Saito
4. Containing the Passer
As if the defense didn’t have enough to worry about as it is but squaring off with a mobile, athletic quarterback like Kyler Murray means they are going to have to buckle down to keep him from using his legs.
In recent seasons, the defense has had a problem with letting quarterbacks slip through their grasp and pick up important yards — yards that have extended drives and come back to haunt the Raiders.
With a schedule that has them facing mobile passers the likes of Patrick Mahomes (twice), Deshaun Watson, and Marcus Mariota, being able to keep the quarterback contained is going to need to be high on the defense’s list of priorities.
But let’s be honest, in recent seasons, the Raiders have had a problem containing even the less than mobile quarterbacks. How often did we see a Joe Flacco or Philip Rivers squirt loose to pick up a critical first down or large chunks of field?
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The point is, the defense is going to need to contain the passer and not let them use their legs to do some damage. On last Saturday against the Rams, we saw Los Angeles’ passers slip loose a couple of times to get out of trouble or gain a few yards.
No, LA’s three-headed beast of Blake Bortles, John Wolford, and Brandon Allen didn’t tear it up, but they were able to slip the defense’s grasp a couple of times.
Against a mobile quarterback like Murray, being able to keep him from doing damage with his legs will be important this season. If they can keep opposing quarterbacks from extending drives with crucial runs, they’ll put themselves in a better position overall.