Heading into the Las Vegas Raiders' Week 4 matchup, it was obvious that stopping the Kansas City Chiefs' rushing attack was one of the big keys to victory. But Rob Leonard's unit did not come close to getting the job done, as they gave up nearly 200 yards on the ground to Kenneth Walker III and Co.
Now, Walker III is one of the best running backs in the league, and he's playing at an incredibly high level right now. That said, the Raiders' inability to limit his impact was difficult to overcome and one of the main reasons the Silver and Black came up short in the battle for the top of the AFC West.
Failure to stop the run has been an issue for Leonard's group all season, and it is imperative that they find a way to improve. But they should know that this problem won't solve itself, especially against a duo of New England Patriots running backs in Week 5 who are capable of doing serious damage.
Raiders' run defense has been a major issue throughout 2026
Through the first four contests of the 2026 NFL season, Las Vegas has given up a total of 538 yards on the ground, good for 134.5 yards per game. That is the fifth-most in the league, and the 5.2 yards that the Raiders allow per rush is the second-most, ahead of only the Carolina Panthers.
Giving up this much on the ground is not a recipe for success.
Sure, the Silver and Black are 3-1, but they just lost to the best team on their schedule so far, and it would not be crazy to have some level of concern about their ability to overcome such a hurdle in the future against other foes. Not being able to stop the run has residual effects on the rest of the game.
Getting run all over extends opposing drives, which throws the Las Vegas offense out of any rhythm that they may establish. It tires out the Raiders' defense over the course of a game and makes them more susceptible to giving up big plays. Just imagine what it'll do over the course of the whole year.
Some of the issues are about scheme and personnel, as the Silver and Black don't always have the right call to stop an attack or the right players out there to clog running lanes. Maybe they don't have a run-stuffing defensive tackle that can plug up the middle, as fans called for all offseason.
Perhaps the players just need to buck up and bring running backs down. Even the great Nakobe Dean missed his run fit on Walker III's 76-yard run, and Las Vegas has missed 29 tackles this year. Failure to wrap up consistently is an issue, too, so almost every aspect of their run defense can be way better.
But it is not just going to get better. The Raiders have to make it better. And the Patriots will provide yet another tough test this coming Sunday.
Patriots' RB tandem won't make it any easier on Las Vegas in Week 5
On paper, this New England ground attack doesn't look unstoppable. Currently, they rank 10th in total yards and 18th in yards per attempt, which means that they are more persistent than efficient. But they just ran for 143 yards in Week 4, so they're hot coming into the game against Las Vegas.
And the tandem of Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson is nothing to shake a stick at. They are the classic "thunder and lightning" duo, where the former is an every-down, grind-it-out, run-through-your-face back, and the latter is the flashy, speedy, home-run hitter. They're a great yin-yang.
After missing Week 1, Henderson has been a great benefit to this ground game. Outside of a dud game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, in which New England was blown out and had to abandon the run, the rushing attack has topped 135 yards or more with Henderson in the lineup.
Last year, the two combined for 1,514 yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground while also adding 566 receiving yards and three touchdowns through the air. This is a multi-talented duo, and that ability didn't just disappear when the new year started, even if they're not at the top of their game right now.
Stevenson and Henderson will be the first good duo that the Raiders have faced this year, so they'll be attempting to shore up their own problems while game planning for two distinctly different backs, all while trying to contain an MVP-level QB in Drake Maye who has seemingly found his mojo again.
The Raiders could easily get back on track this week in the run-stopping department, but it will take a special effort. And the Patriots won't make it easy on them.
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