Cincinnati Bengals at Oakland Raiders: 3 things to watch in Week 11

1. The defense to continue to improve

Last season the Raiders defense was nonexistent, only tallying 13 sacks on the season with a negative seven turnover ratio. There is no other way to spin it, they were atrocious. A lot of effort and draft capital was spent this offseason to shore up the defense, and it is beginning to look like it is all starting to pay off.

The organization spent six of their nine draft selections on the defensive side of the ball. Although first round selection Jonathan Abram, fourth round pick Isaiah Johnson, and seventh round pick Quinton Bell have not played a role yet this season, the other three have played huge roles thus far.

Fourth overall pick Clelin Ferrell has improved as the season has drug on, having his most impressive outing to date against the Chargers last week. Second rounder Trayvon Mullen was thrust into a starting role after Gareon Conley was traded and has done well with more opportunity. Fourth round pick Maxx Crosby has arguably been the most impressive of the bunch, and continues to make strides in his development.

To earn a playoff berth the Raiders will need the defense to continue to improve and step up to the challenge on a weekly basis. The young guys need to continue to improve and the coaching staff needs to help get the new recruits like Dion Jordan and D.J. Swearinger up to speed. The Bengals offense is relatively weak and should be an easy matchup for the Raiders. Keep an eye on the defense to see if they continue their trend of improving on a weekly basis. Dominating the Bengals could be a good springboard to motivate the defense heading into the final stretch.