Defensive Line
The Raiders defensive line was supposed to be one of the strengths of the team, as they splashed the cash on defensive end Carl Nassib, and brought in Maliek Collins from the Cowboys as one of Rod Marinelli’s disciples. This has lead to a mixed bag of results and it shows specifically in the pass rush statistics.
The Raiders blitz on just 19.2% of their defensive snaps which is the fourth-lowest in the NFL, so the pass rush responsibility falls primarily on the front 3 or 4. They struggle to record sacks with just seven so far, which is in the bottom-5 of the league, but they are 4th in the league in quarterback hurries, 4th in hurry percentage, and 9th in overall pressures.
So the Raiders defensive line has gotten to the quarterback, and pressured him, but have not been able to record many sacks. A big factor in that is that they have played several mobile quarterbacks in Teddy Bridgewater, Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and Cam Newton with the lone exception being Drew Brees, who is famous for his quick release.
Other than Brees, and perhaps Bridgewater, all of those quarterbacks are known for their mobility and ability to extend plays so the defense can be forgiven for not bringing them down regularly. Perhaps those sack totals will improve against more statuesque quarterbacks like Tom Brady and Philip Rivers.
The Raiders are also in the bottom-10 in rush defense and that is also an indictment of the defensive line who are struggling to maintain their gap responsibilities. They have also given up the most rushing touchdowns and is something they must clean up moving forward.