The Las Vegas Raiders' defense looked fairly impressive over the first four weeks of the season, despite their numbers being underwhelming. This was largely skewed by a brutal blowout against the Washington Commanders in Week 3, but the group had been largely solid.
While they allowed just 317 total yards to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5, they had another abysmal showing overall, as their opponents ran up the score en route to a 40-6 victory. It was the team's worst performance of the season, as they were embarrassed in all three facets of the game.
The defense, which once looked promising, could not do anything right. After forcing a three-and-out on the Colts' opening possession, they allowed touchdowns on the next six drives. While the team has many issues that they will need to address during the offseason, one move that they should make right now is moving starting safety Isaiah Pola-Mao to the bench, or at least diminishing his role.
Isaiah Pola-Mao should no longer be starting for the Raiders
Pola-Mao had been, arguably, the worst safety in the league through four weeks. The Raiders' starter posted a 31.1 Pro Football Focus grade that ranked 127th out of 129 players at his position. He was, once again, awful on Sunday, and it is clear that he should not be a starter any longer.
In Week 5, he was Las Vegas' fourth-lowest graded defender with a score of 45.8. This included a 40.9 coverage grade, as he gave up yet another touchdown, and a 56.3 tackling grade, as he missed another tackle against the Colts.
While he was given a two-year, $7.45 million contract extension this offseason due to his strong performance as a box safety in 2024, it is clear that he is not a starting-caliber free safety. The four-year veteran has consistently been beaten in coverage and missed tackles, leading to big plays for the opposition.
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Although Lonnie Johnson Jr. remains injured and Tristin McCollum hasn't been much better, the coaching staff needs to make a change at free safety. Whether that means allowing Chris Smith II to get significant playing time for the first time in his three-year career or turning to the free agent market, something must be done to address the position.
There are several veterans who remain unsigned heading into Week 6 that could immediately step in and be an upgrade over Pola-Mao. The most obvious names are Justin Simmons and C.J. Gardner-Johnson; however, even players such as Marcus Williams and Marcus Maye should be able to provide more production than the Raiders' current starting free safety.
Pola-Mao has been a terrific story for the Silver and Black, blossoming from an undrafted free agent into a starter on a multi-year deal. But this is a performance-based league, and he has not proven that he deserves to be a starter in Las Vegas.