Oakland Raiders: Top 5 takeaways from Week 2 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs
3. Benson Mayowa continues to be underrated
While the secondary took a step back this past week, one player up front did not.
Benson Mayowa recorded 1.5 sacks, three tackles, and a forced fumble on Sunday, following up his impressive performance against the Denver Broncos the week before where he nabbed two sacks and a fumble on Joe Flacco.
Mayowa, by no means, was one of the premier names that received plenty of coverage upon his return to Oakland this season.
Still, the defensive end has made it a point to make his presence known by rejuvenating a defense that was limited to just 13 sacks last season.
Mayowa alone has now recorded 3.5 in two games.
Last week, he became the first Raiders player to record multiple sacks in a game since Khalil Mack did it in December 2017. This week, he made franchise history.
By recording one sack and one forced fumble in consecutive games for the first time in his career, Mayowa became the first Raider to accomplish the feat in the first two games of the season.
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The frontline of the defense has been greatly helped by efforts like these. Kansas City was limited to just 32 rushing yards — the fewest allowed in a game against the Chiefs in Raiders franchise history.
On Mayowa’s forced fumble, Mahomes stepped up into the pocket to survey the field on 3rd-and-11, early in the 4th. He narrowly avoided a hit before trying to force a quick throw, only to be batted down by Mayowa who exploded from behind him.
It’s crucial plays like these that can change the direction of momentum, even if time was running out.
Mayowa has added some much-needed pass-rushing threat within a system that he can finally thrive in. He had previously been benched with other organizations for his perceived pass-rushing ability, but that has since gone away.
In a culture that leans heavily on proving your worth, Mayowa is forcing his way into the conversation to start thanks to his impressive numbers.
At the very least, Mayowa’s tenacity and veteran presence has to be a positive influence on such a young defensive line. There is still a long way to go, but finally eclipsing that haunting number of thirteen sacks from last season has to be in the back of the defense’s mind this year.
They currently sit at five through two games.