Keys to Victory: Oakland Raiders at Tennessee Titans

The Oakland Raiders hit the road to face the Tennessee Titans in Week 3, looking to get back in the win column. Here are three keys to victory.

Well, that didn’t go well — the Raiders dropped to 1-1 after losing their home opener to the average Atlanta Falcons.

Hopefully they can put it behind them and get things going in the right direction this week against the Tennessee Titans.

Defense? What’s defense?

Where can I start??

Good pass rush, Nope.

Good coverage? Nope.

Good run game? ah, no.

Defensively, the Raiders currently rank fourth in completion percentage, tied for second in touchdown percentage, and first in yards per attempt, yards allowed and touchdowns allowed.

FOLKS, that is bad.

The safeties look lost, the pass rush isn’t getting home, and the LBs are getting killed in every facet of the game.

This defense was supposed to take the next step this year but they have instead taken ten steps back. Norton Jr. and Del Rio are meant to be defensive guys, so why is it going all wrong?

As I said, it’s the combination of all those things above — so what can the team do to change it?

First, the defense has to put Mack in better situations to get one-on-one matchups, like Denver does with Von Miller. And it’s time to start Karl Joseph. He can’t do worse than what Keith McGill and Reggie Nelson have done this year.

The positive thought I do have is it can’t get worse, right? Also, that Norton’s defense started slow last year as well, but as the year went on the defense grew into its own.

Hopefully, that can happen sooner rather than later, which brings us to the first key to victory against the Titans.