Raiders: New-look defense needs to do a better job with turnovers
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders have struggled to generate turnovers on the defensive side of the ball, a trend that needs to change in 2022.
When it comes to the 2022 Las Vegas Raiders, the stage is set for what should be an exciting season. The Raiders go into the season fresh off their second playoff appearance since the 2002 NFL season and have bolstered their defense in a big way this offseason.
The defense should be much improved from last season, and you can expect Chandler Jones to be a double-digit sack guy for Las Vegas in 2022. With he and Maxx Crosby both getting pressure, it should force a bunch of mistakes from opposing quarterbacks, even elite guys like Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and Russell Wilson, who they will take on within the division.
For the Raiders to compete in the AFC West, which should be the best division in the NFL this season, they have to be able to generate turnovers. This has been something that has plagued this defense for years, but with more talent on all three levels, they should be in a better position to flip the field more than they have in recent years.
Raiders defense loaded with talent in 2022
Jones is not the only exciting player the Raiders brought in this offseason, as I believe Rock Ya-Sin is going to be a difference-maker in the secondary, they added some quality defensive tackles, and the linebacker group is deep. Also, Patrick Graham is one of the better defensive coordinators in the NFL, so you can be sure he will have a solid scheme for all the new talent he is acquiring after coming over from New York.
Overall, the AFC West is going to be very hard to win this season, and with three elite talent across from the Raiders, the defense is going to have to find a way to get stops and turn the ball over on the defensive side of the ball. They cannot afford to go weeks without an interception, as has been the case in recent history because a strong turnover ratio could be the difference between who makes the playoffs out of this division.