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Karl Joseph Should Rest Until The Playoffs

By Gagan Aujla

Nov 6, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders strong safety Karl Joseph (42) gestures toward the crowd during a timeout against the Denver Broncos in the third quarter at Oakland Coliseum. The Raiders defeated the Broncos 30-20. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 6, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders strong safety Karl Joseph (42) gestures toward the crowd during a timeout against the Denver Broncos in the third quarter at Oakland Coliseum. The Raiders defeated the Broncos 30-20. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Oakland Raiders should rest Karl Joseph until the playoffs.

Karl Joseph has been a revelation for the Oakland Raiders since taking over the role as starting safety early in the season. Despite being listed at 5’10” and 207 lbs, Joseph has gained a reputation as an intimidator when any offensive player decides to go over the middle.

Before Joseph went down with his turf toe injury, he was 2nd on the team in tackles with 60, and currently still ranks as the 5th leading tackler on the Raiders despite not playing in the first two games of the season, as well as these past two weeks.

After Joseph went down against the Bills, Nate Allen came in and has filled the void during Joseph’s absence. By no means am I saying we should bench Joseph in favor of Allen, but Allen has put together a very good string of games.

When Allen came in late in Week 13 against the Bills, he was solid against the run and also intercepted a tipped pass. The following week against the Chiefs, Allen led the team in tackles with 11 (9 solo) and although he did struggle at times against the pass, he played a big part in shutting the Chiefs’ run game down.

Just this last Sunday, Allen again played quite well, tying for the team lead in tackles and also recording a pass defensed. According to Pro Football Focus, Allen graded out as the 3rd highest Raiders defender, with a grade of 83.8. Numbers don’t lie.

What this proves is that the Raiders have great depth at specific positions and should be very excited knowing they can get this kind of production when one of their sure-fire starters goes down with an injury. Nate Allen is more than capable of holding the fort down until Karl Joseph is 100% ready to ball.

Turf toe injuries can be very tricky. Everyone who was Raiders fan in the Darren McFadden hey-day knows a thing or two about turf toe injuries and how it can impact a player long-term if they come back too soon. By no means should Karl Joseph come back this week against the Colts, nor in the season finale against the Broncos.

If the Raiders happen to win out, that would mean they would have a record of 13-3 and would get a 1st round bye. That would be huge for Joseph because he would get an extra week of rest and would not need to be rushed back for a wild card playoff game.

If the Raiders have any Super Bowl aspirations, they will need to get consistent production out of their defense. After all, we have all know the saying that ‘Defense wins championships’. You need to look at the bigger picture and sit Joseph, so your defense will be at peak strength when heading to the playoffs.

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