There are a number of tidbits to choose from about how bad the Oakland Raiders defense has been through the first two games of 2016. They are the first team since 1967 to give up more than 500 yards in each of its first two games. Their 1,035 yards allowed is the most through two games since the 1951 New York Yanks.
Repairing the Oakland Raiders Defense
These types of statistics are often unfair representations of a team’s quality, especially this early in the season. But the Raiders defense has been objectively bad — improving the unit will be a primary concern in the coming weeks. There will likely be visible changes Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.
Jack Del Rio’s press conferences this week have provided some insight into the state of the Oakland defense and what of changes to expect moving forward. It is difficult to blame any individual player for the unit’s poor performance, and scheme plays a role equally as significant as personnel.
Ken Norton Jr. has received criticism for his insistence on playing man coverage, which has repeatedly exposed his players in the early going. When asked if Norton would be stripped of his play-calling duties, Del Rio admitted taking control of the play-calling at some point during the fourth quarter against Atlanta, and proclaimed that play-calling is a “shared-duty” among the staff.
“Priority No. 1 has to be: Stop having eye violations. Get your eyes where they belong. Do your job… We’re not looking for alibis… Get your job done. Know what you need to get done. Have your eyes right. Get your job done.”
He has also been open to discussing potential personnel changes, particularly regarding linebacker Ben Heeney and safety Keith McGill, both of whom have struggled and are expected to have reduced roles in Week three and likely beyond.
Members of the Raiders staff spent the off-season insisting confidence in Heeney’s ability to preform as the team’s starting middle linebacker, but have backed down from their stances in recent weeks. Heeney was stripped of his sideline communication privileges before Week 1, and was benched in the fourth quarter in week two in favor of sixth-round rookie Cory James after being repeatedly exposed by the Atlanta Falcons.
Things got especially bad for Heeney in the third quarter, when Matt Ryan targeted him successfully on back-to-back plays for 58 yards. On the first, the Falcons recognized man coverage and isolated Tevin Coleman to take advantage of his matchup against Heeney. In Heeney’s defense, staying with Coleman in space is a tough order for most linebackers, and the Falcons used a pick to make things even more difficult.
James, who appears to be the Raiders lone alternative to Heeney, was targeted on his first snap for a five yard completion and saw just eight defensive snaps to follow, most coming as Atlanta attempted to run out the clock. It is premature to conclude which player is more capable in the position — both players are likely to see action in Week 3 against Tennessee. Whichever linebacker is on the field is sure to be tested in the passing game. 26 of Marcus Mariota’s 50 completions have been to running backs and tight ends, and a similar distribution is likely to continue Sunday.
McGill’s struggles are peculiar because most did not expect him to start coming into the season. The role was expected to be filled by first-round pick Karl Joseph, who has yet to play a snap on defense after seeing first-team reps throughout training camp and the preseason. The approach to his playing time may be precautionary, as Joseph continues to work his way back from the torn ACL he suffered last October, or could reflect a lack of confidence from the coaching staff in his ability to perform. Joseph himself has seemed perplexed by the situation, and only recently has Del Rio provided clarity:
“Quite frankly, I came out of the game yesterday saying, ‘Why didn’t we get him in?’ Keith struggled. He had some struggles yesterday and certainly opened the door for Karl to get in there, but we didn’t pull the trigger on it. I’d like to see him get his opportunities to get in the game starting this week.”
It has been made apparent that both James and Joseph will get chances to contribute on Sunday in an effort to fix the Raiders defensive issues. It remains to be seen if giving more playing time to the two rookies will work in the Raiders favor, but it is certainly worth a shot at this point. If the Raiders defense can improve even marginally, the offense should be able to score enough points to win games and keep the team competitive in the AFC.
