Las Vegas Raiders at Cleveland Browns: 4 keys in the 16-6 victory

Las Vegas Raiders at Cleveland Browns: 4 keys in the 16-6 victory

Nick Kwiatkoski powers the Raiders’ run defense

As much of a difference maker as Johnathan Abram is as the emotional leader and tone setter, Nick Kwiatkoski is the quiet spark that ignites the Raiders’ rush defense. Kwiatkoski missed most of the Carolina game with a pec injury and the Panthers rushed for over 100 yards as a team.

He also sat out the following two weeks against New Orleans and New England and both teams rushed for over 100 yards with the Patriots rushing for an absurd 250 yards. Of the 4 games this season where the Raiders have given up more than 100 yards rushing, Kwiatkoski was only on the field for the most recent in Cleveland.

Even that could be excused as the Browns rushed for 101 and Baker Mayfield accounted for 29 of those yards with star running back Kareem Hunt held to 66 yards on 14 attempts.  Many fans decried the Raiders’ rush defense early on this year and blamed the defensive line and Rod Marinelli for not having gap discipline, myself included, but the common denominator was Nick Kwiatkoski’s presence in the middle of the field.

The fifth-year linebacker also made a great play early on in the game to force a fumble and steal a possession for his team when the Browns were well into Raider territory. In a game where only one touchdown was scored every point counted and that fumble could have been one of the keys of the game.