3 huge overreactions from the Las Vegas Raiders win vs 49ers
By Brad Weiss
Raiders defense will be in the top-15 in 2023
On Sunday, the Las Vegas Raiders took on the San Francisco 49ers without most of their star players, including some big names on the defensive side of the ball. On defense, Maxx Crosby, both starting safeties, Jerry Tillery, Bilal Nichols, Divine Deablo, Nate Hobbs, Chandler Jones, David Long Jr. and Brandon Facyson did not play, but it did not matter much.
From the outset, the Raiders defensive line looked dominant, as Isaac Rochell, Adam Butler, Jordan Willis, and John Jenkins all got to the quarterback. Rookie linebacker Amari Burney had a few missteps, but he looked like the real deal, nabbing a quarterback sack, four tackles, and nearly grabbing his first NFL interception.
The secondary played well all game long, capped by a 43-yard interception return by Sam Webb, while rookie Christoper Smith II looked like the real deal as well. All told, this is a group that looked deep, talented, and fast, and once the bigger-name players get in the mix, the Raiders could finally have a defense that ranks in the top-half of the NFL.