Oakland Raiders at Miami Dolphins: 5 takeaways from Week 3

MIAMI, FL - SEPTEMBER 23: Jon Gruden reacts on the sidelines during the fourth quarter against Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on September 23, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL - SEPTEMBER 23: Jon Gruden reacts on the sidelines during the fourth quarter against Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on September 23, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images) /
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The safety situation is horrible

In the last three weeks, there have been countless occasions where the Raider’s safeties get beat badly and it leads to a big play or a score. Reggie Nelson and Marcus Gilchrist have been the starting duo thus far, and that needs to change. Reggie Nelson is playing “because he understands the system” according to defensive coordinator Paul Guenther.

Is that really all it takes to be a starting safety on this team? If yes, there is a huge issue. Nelson has been beat badly in every game so far, and there is no end in sight. He is slow to diagnose plays and doesn’t have the speed necessary to recover. He is costing the team points week in week out, and he is better suited for a bench spot.

Gilchrist hasn’t been nearly as bad as Nelson, but he has yet to impress while on the field. He and Nelson both got beat by Kenny Stills for a touchdown on Sunday, and it wasn’t the first time fans had seen that exact same situation.

Erik Harris got some playing time against Denver and looked good, why did he not get the same amount of playing time this week? Karl Joseph played only enough to get hurt, and will miss next week as well. The safety position is a huge hole in the Raiders defense and needs to be fixed quickly. Here’s a hint, benching Nelson is a good start.