Oakland Raiders New Years resolutions entering 2020
By Kenny King
Resolution 1: Fix the defense
The Raiders have historically fared poorly defensively and 2019 was no different. As the Raiders began the season, the defense looked to be a faster, more physical unit, but afterthe Week 1 loss of rookie safety Johnathan Abram, the Raiders lacked the extra fire in the secondary. Injuries, trades and suspensions led to many looks defensively and outside of the defensive line, there was no clear stability.
The Raiders performed much better in 2019 in terms of getting to the quarterback, as rookie Maxx Crosby finished with a team-high ten sacks, which was three sacks shy of the total defensive unit in 2018. Under the tutelage of defensive line coach Brenston Bucker, we saw a more aggressive defensive line that fought through plays and made smart reads to not only reach the quarterback, but to also control the run game.
In 2020, Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther will be tasked with further improving on this defense, a unit that lost six starters in 2019, but will have their young safety return and should certainly see extra help provided through the draft. Knowing that there are young talented building blocks brings excitement for the future as long as the execution is there.