Raiders defense has turned a corner
The New York Giants defense was supposed to get a boost with the return of Daniel Jones, who had missed a bunch of games due to an injured neck. Jones did return, but the Raiders were all over him early on, and in the end, Jones had to leave the game with a non-contact injury in the first half and never returned.
With Tommy Devito stepping in at quarterback, the Raiders defense thrived, picking him off on back-to-back passes, and really putting the Giants away for good. Amik Robertson continued his impressive 2023 season with his second interception of the year, and it was good to see Nate Hobbs in the right place at the right time for his interception as well.
Up front, the Raiders defensive line dominated, getting to the quarterback eight times against the Giants. Of course, that pass rush was led by Madd Maxx Crosby, who had a team-high three sacks, but he was one of seven Raiders who had at least 0.5 sacks in the game, a stunning statistic in its own right.
Devito finished with a 3.6 QBR in the game, and while Saquon Barkley had a few nice moments, the lack of a passing game affected what he could do against the Silver and Black. The Raiders defense has taken a big step forward in 2023, a reason why Patrick Graham was not fired alongside the OC, HC, and GM, and hopefully they continue to grow with some big games on the horizon.