Raiders: 3 defensive players who have been crucial down the stretch
The Defensive Line
It’s hard to pick out one member of the defensive line that has stood out because it has been a collective team effort that has lifted this team recently. Against Cleveland, the d-line was not able to get to Nick Mullens but they shut down one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL and held them to just 89 yards on the ground.
The following week they outdid themselves by holding Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams to a ridiculous 18 yards on the ground and totally nullified them from the game. They were also able to get to Drew Lock consistently and recorded three QB hits, five tackles for loss, and two sacks, one of which helped seal the game as the Broncos were driving in Raiders territory.
The unit’s biggest test came against the current best running back in the NFL and a solid Colts offense on the road in Indianapolis. Yannick Ngakoue was the star man of the day as he recorded 4 QB hits, a tackle for loss, and the team’s only sack of the day. The rest of the unit did an admirable job against Johnathan Taylor as the NFL’s leading rusher recorded 108 yards and a touchdown but it took him 20 carries to do so.
Compared to his other games this season the Raiders kept him relatively bottled up as 42 of those yards came on two carries in the second quarter. He also had 7 carries for 2 yards or less so this was a tremendous effort from the defensive line upon further review.
They will have to step up in a major way to slow down a hot Chargers offense that has averaged 33.8 points over the last 5 weeks. Getting to Justin Herbert will be the key to victory and the Raiders have the horses to do it.