By almost every metric, the Las Vegas Raiders' defense has performed well to begin the 2026 NFL season. Rob Leonard has this group firing on all cylinders, and even though things haven't been perfect in the early going, there has been a lot for this new-look unit to write home about.
The play of the defensive line has been the main talking point, as Maxx Crosby and Co. have made life difficult for opposing quarterbacks. But the secondary isn't getting quite enough credit for their play on the back end, which has made life easier for the defensive line and linebackers.
Sure, they've been praised for their interceptions and fumble recoveries, but not enough has been said about their pure coverage ability through two games. Luckily, one stat about the defense's time to sack and pressure says it all about how well the defensive backfield has been playing.
Raiders' secondary has been key to pass rush success, based on one stat
Everyone knows that the Raiders' pass rush has been getting home, as they currently rank second in the NFL with eight sacks, and they have the second-highest pressure rate in the league at 54.8%, according to Next Gen Stats. They've also done so without blitzing much, at the NFL's 8th-lowest rate.
Here's the kicker, though: Las Vegas isn't getting after the quarterback quickly. Opposing passers have had 3.21 seconds to throw on average, the 6th-most in the league, and their 4.44-second average time to sack is also the 6th-highest in the NFL, according to The Athletic's Sam Warren.
What does that mean? Simply put, the Raiders' secondary is blanketing pass-catchers, which has forced quarterbacks to hold the ball, which has given Las Vegas' front seven more time to get home to pressure or sack the quarterback. These two are supposed to work in tandem, and they finally are.
Las Vegas' inability to pressure or sack the quarterback quickly also played a role in the defensive backfield giving up explosive plays in Week 1. It's hard to cover NFL route-runners for very long, and when passers have time, they can make defenses pay more often, especially downfield.
Luckily, the Raiders' safeties and corners have largely shored up the back end, and the proof is in the pudding when it comes to the statistic about how many pressures and sacks the team has, and how long it is taking them to achieve that. Only the secondary can be credited for that.
Basic numbers also indicate that Raiders' secondary is playing well
Yes, advanced stats paint pictures that simple box scores cannot. But pure production also matters, and the Las Vegas secondary is getting the job done in that realm as well. Just take a look at where they rank in the league in several key categories.
Stat | Number | NFL Rank |
|---|---|---|
Passing Yds Allowed/Game | 184.0 | 11th |
Takeaways | 5 | 2nd |
Interceptions | 3 | T-3rd |
Passing TDs allowed | 1 | T-2nd fewest |
QBR Allowed | 63.2 | 2nd |
Completion % Allowed | 55.6 | 2nd |
Obviously, this group is playing very well. Allowing just one explosive play in Week 2 against the Chargers was also a step in the right direction for this unit, and they did so without starting cornerback Darien Porter. Starting free safety Treydan Stukes also left the game very early.
Malik Willis isn't a world-beater of a quarterback at the NFL level, but Justin Herbert is supposed to be one of the very best. The Raiders, however, made him look like a below-average passer on Sunday, which was pivotal to getting the win.
It won't get any easier for Las Vegas with Tyler Shough, Patrick Mahomes, Drake Maye, Josh Allen and Matthew Stafford on the schedule in the next five games, but the Raiders' secondary has more than done its part to facilitate a strong defensive environment through two matchups.
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