The Las Vegas Raiders have struggled with defending explosive plays all season. This has left the defense gashed by big gains and contributed to their back-breaking losses, even though the unit began the year like gangbusters.
This issue really started with the Week 4 game against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Raiders slowed down the Chiefs' high-powered attack in large part, but Kansas City had three plays over 40 yards that led to touchdowns and another 76-yarder for no score, which flipped the game in their favor.
Rob Leonard was asked about the explosives in both the run and the pass game during his press conference on Thursday.
"I used to hate when people would say, 'Hey, we're a really good run defense if we don't have this play or that play.' But what's hurting winning the game is-- I keep thinking of the Chiefs week. We played great run defense, and then 76-yard explosive. It's hard to win doing that. So that's something we're really focused on: the explosives in the run and the pass."
Explosive plays are hurting the Raiders defense
Advanced stats paint a clear picture of what is happening to the Raiders' defense. According to Sumer Sports, the Raiders' pass defense ranks at the bottom of the league in certain metrics.
One is their average depth of target: the Silver and Black are at 9.38 yards per target. They are also 28th in YPA at 7.88 yards per attempt, which is in the bottom five in the league. This suggests Leonard is leaving his young secondary out to dry at times, and the pass rush is inconsistent.
On the run, the Raiders' defense is allowing 2.16 Yards before contact per carry, the highest in the NFL. Defensive line issues, especially at defensive tackle, are haunting the Raiders this season. They are getting pushed back into the lap of linebackers.
Running backs can create explosive plays, and the Raiders have allowed 23 runs over 10+ yards. Fans saw it on the play with Kenneth Walker, as the Kansas City Chiefs' offensive front just demolished the defensive line.
Nakobe Dean got caught up in the mess, leading to a back-breaking 77-yard run. The Raiders would lose the lead and the game after a fumble on a kickoff return. Leonard has work to do to fix these issues. Defensively, they have given up 30 points or more in the last three matchups.
If this continues, it becomes a question of whether Leonard gets replaced midseason or at least in the offseason. The offense is doing its part; it is time for the defense to step up and make plays to help the Raiders win games.
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