New Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Rob Leonard coached an impeccable game in Week 1 against the Miami Dolphins, but fans know better than to crown someone after a single contest. After two, though, Raider Nation must be feeling great about the Leonard hire and what he's done so far.
Against an ostensibly better opponent in Week 2, the Los Angeles Chargers, Leonard's defense once again squelched its foe, limiting them to just 14 points in Las Vegas' two-score win. They did so in a different fashion than they did last week, too, without starting cornerback Darien Porter, no less.
"To win in this league, you really need great defense," Cousins told CBS after the game. "We've had it the last two weeks. It's made our job on offense much easier."
Because the Raiders put together an arguably better performance against a higher-quality adversary, Leonard earned an "A-" grade for taking another step. But this group still has some things to clean up as the season progresses.
Raiders' Rob Leonard earns "A-" grade after taking another step vs. Chargers
To understand what this defense did well on Sunday, it only takes a casual glance at the box score. The Chargers managed just 14 points, turned it over three times and gained a mere 310 total yards in the contest, which is a losing formula. Leonard was the one who forced Los Angeles into that recipe.
Justin Herbert completed only 55% of his passes for 192 passing yards and threw two interceptions to rookie Zeke Masses while fumbling three times. Things could have been a lot worse for the Chargers, too, as they fumbled on six occasions and Las Vegas only recovered one of them.
Leonard's group, once again, wreaked total havoc.
They sacked Herbert three times and had 21 total pressures, which included nine total QB hits. That takes its toll on a player over the course of a game, and it's a big reason why Los Angeles couldn't rally. It may also be why Herbert threw such a bad interception at the end of the contest.
Through two games, the Raiders have the highest pressure rate in the NFL at a staggering 50.0%, thanks in large part to their 45.2% rate against Los Angeles. And they've accomplished this without having to blitz, as they have done so at the eighth-lowest rate in the league so far.
On the back end, the secondary held up in coverage exceptionally well, as outside of a 53-yarder to Tre Harris, they put a roof on the Chargers' offense, limiting them to just the one explosive play and picking off two passes while recovering a fumble. That is a heck of a showing from the backfield.
Once again, the Raiders were very good in terms of third-down defense, as they gave up just five conversions on 13 attempts this past Sunday. That is a lot of good for Leonard's group, and he certainly earned every bit of an A- grade. But again, they weren't perfect.
Where Rob Leonard's defense can still improve after Raiders' A- showing against Chargers
I'm not saying anything controversial by pointing out that the Raiders' run defense was pretty bad on Sunday, particularly in the first half. Had Los Angeles been able to lean on it a bit more in the second half, perhaps we would be talking about a different ballgame and result altogether.
The Chargers ran for 127 yards on 32 carries, which is 4.0 yards per attempt, and they found the end zone. Los Angeles lined up and ran it down the Raiders' throats during their second-quarter touchdown drive, and Las Vegas had no answer for it. That is a bit problematic.
Fortunately, the game script was such that Mike McDaniel and Co. couldn't run the air out of the football, and that is in part due to Leonard's opportunistic group getting the ball back to the offense with turnovers. They also improved slightly against the run in half No. 2 and made some key plays.
Going forward, though, the Raiders will be playing better running backs and offensive lines, and they have to provide more resistance against the run when other teams get going. Other than that, this was a tremendous game for the Las Vegas defense, and Leonard earned every bit of an A-.
Rob Leonard Report Card
Week 1 vs. Miami Dolphins: B (3.0)
Week 2 vs. Los Angeles Chargers: A- (3.7)
GPA: 3.35
Add us as a preferred source on Google