The Las Vegas Raiders' difficult 2025 NFL season won't be getting any easier in Week 14. They'll return home after a road bout last Sunday, but they are hosting the red-hot Denver Broncos, who are currently 10-2 and on an eight-game winning streak.
Due to poor roster construction and a myriad of injuries, the Raiders don't have much of a fighting chance. The Raiders' offense will certainly be no match for the Broncos' defense, and Las Vegas' defense isn't likely to put up much of a fight against Denver's sneaky-good offense.
While the defense has been put in bad spots by the offense, it is clear that Patrick Graham's unit lacks the talent to be elite. Although the group held up in their Week 10 battle with the Broncos, Denver's head coach, Sean Payton, used a shocking analogy that speaks volumes about the Raiders' defense.
Sean Payton highlights the Raiders' defensive issues with Maxx Crosby analogy
While the Raiders rank 16th in total yards allowed this season, they are just 26th in scoring defense. As has often been the case since he arrived in 2019, superstar edge rusher Maxx Crosby's impact has not been enough to elevate a unit that lacks high-end talent around him.
Payton, who infamously served as the offensive coordinator of his son's sixth-grade team while serving his year-long suspension in 2012 for the New Orleans Saints' shameful Bounty Gate, used an analogy from that experience to describe the defense when speaking to the media this week.
"When you're playing other sixth graders, there's two or three that have matured. It's a unique age. It's sixth grade. I had the DVDs of the opponents, and there was always that one kid that could destroy the game," Payton said. "It's the same as Maxx Crosby. There's one kid that drove to practice with a beard and the rest of them are all sixth grade. So, how do we make sure this kid doesn't ruin the game?"
In a way, this comment was said in good fun, and an analogy is just an analogy. But even though the Raiders' defense has been far from great this season, being compared to sixth graders in any way is simply insulting for any player who has made it to the NFL.
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While it is clear that Crosby is, by far, the best player in the group, the rest of the unit should use the comments from Denver's head coach as bulletin board material ahead of the Week 14 matchup and come out and play with some incredible fire.
Additionally, it wasn't exactly like Las Vegas struggled against the Broncos defensively in their first matchup. The defense held their divisional rivals to a season-low 10 points, 220 total yards, and 136 passing yards. These might be the best sixth graders the world has ever seen!
Las Vegas also allowed just 84 rushing yards, Denver's third-fewest this season, while forcing two turnovers, which came on two interceptions from Bo Nix, which is tied for the second-most the Broncos' offense has had in a single game this year.
Payton's comments just made the matchup a lot more interesting. This analogy says it all about the perception of the Raiders' defense, as well as the class of Denver's head coach. But, the group will need to replicate its last performance to silence Payton.