Las Vegas Raiders vs. Miami Dolphins: 2021 Week 3 defensive grades
By Nick Bailey
Las Vegas Raiders vs. Miami Dolphins: 2021 Week 3 defensive grades
Defensive line
Other than Derek Carr’s blazing start to 2021, the play of defensive ends Maxx Crosby and Yannick Ngakoue has been the story of the season. In every single game so far this season, each of them has had at least five quarterback pressures, with Crosby actually leading the entire NFL in pressures (25) and quarterback hits (12).
But it’s not only those players that have produced so far this season. Solomon Thomas was the third overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers, but after spending four seasons there, and only getting six total sacks in that time, he was widely considered a bust. That allowed him to sign with another team.
Luckily for the Raiders, he has come back to form under Gus Bradley and had had a major impact the last two games, getting two sacks against the Steelers, and having one-half sack and three pressures on Sunday. Carl Nassib has also had a rebirth this season, playing up to the large contract he was given before the 2020 campaign.
Inside, Darius Philon and Quinton Jefferson are making impacts, as Jefferson had a sack in this one, and Philon had three pressures. Las Vegas did struggle a bit in this game stopping the run, but Dolphins leading rusher Myles Gaskin did only gain 65 rushing yards, and 24 of Brown’s 31 yards came on one play. The Dolphins’ offensive line came out with a purpose to be physical so it isn’t that much of a shock that they did run block well.
It’s unknown if the Raiders defensive line would be able to keep up this quality of play all year long even if they are healthy, but watching this line work after the years of ineptitude has been a pleasant sight to see.
Grade: B-