The Autumn(Re)Wind: Breaking down the Raiders defense
By BD Williams
The 2019 Oakland Raiders showed improvement on the defensive side of the ball, and we take a deep dive into what they hung their hat on.
2019 showed some improvements on the defensive side of the ball for the Oakland Raiders, who were atrocious the previous season. Under second year Raiders Defensive Coordinator Paul Guenther, the unit ran more variations in coverage, made adjustments against the run, and took steps forward modernizing their blitz package.
The Raiders defense of course still struggled in stretches and one of most limiting factors was the Raiders dearth of talent at the linebacker position. Paul Guenther was forced to get creative as a result, and showed more volume in his defense that he had in 2018.
Heading into the 2020 offseason, there is no doubt the team plans on adding talent on that side of the ball, whether it is in free agency, or via the 2020 NFL Draft, where they hold five picks in the first 91 selections. There is a ton of talent at linebacker and cornerback in this draft class, two huge areas of need for this team moving forward.
Let’s take a look at the Raiders scheme and what strategic approaches the defense hung their hat on in 2019.