The Las Vegas Raiders need to fix their run defense, and they need to do it fast, because the New York Jets could have a day like the Rams.
The Las Vegas Raiders
are 3-4 after starting the season 3-0. They've now lost four straight games. To be fair, those four losses came against some of the NFL's best teams: the Kansas City Chiefs
, New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, and Los Angeles Rams
. Still, something has to change, and the Raiders' defense is the place to start.
Las Vegas has allowed 30 or more points in each of the last four games. That's unacceptable for any defense. Has the offense always put that unit in great situations? No. However, Raiders linebacker Quay Walker made it clear what's going wrong, especially against the run.
When asked about the defense's struggles against the run, Walker kept his answer short.
"I think it comes down to something simple- a grown man playing blocks," Walker said in the locker room after the loss
. "Not pointing fingers or whatever, just winning your one-on-one. Whoever is blocking you, just get off a block and make the tackle."
He's right, and that simply isn't happening right now. That's what makes one of the Raiders' recent moves so surprising. Las Vegas released Jonah Laulu this week, and he did exactly what Walker described very well last year. Everyone knows the defensive line has struggled at times, so cutting a guy who could win his one-on-one matchups is a head-scratcher.
When the defensive line doesn't do its job up front, whether that's in the run game or the pass game, everybody else on the defense pays for it. Right now, the front has struggled in both areas.
There have been some bright spots. Tonka Hemingway has stepped up and had good moments, which is great to see considering the Raiders drafted him last year, and he didn't show much as a rookie. Adam Butler and Foley Fatukasi have also had a few good moments.
But nobody is playing consistently well on the defensive line, other than maybe Maxx Crosby, and even he's had some bad moments. Kwity Paye, whom the Raiders paid a lot of money to bring in, hasn't really shown up. Malcolm Koonce hasn't done much of anything either, especially against the run.
The New York Jets will run the ball this weekend. They have Breece Hall, good running backs behind him, and a decent offensive line to open up lanes. I think we all know New York probably wants to keep the ball out of Geno Smith's hands as much as possible to avoid the mistakes that come with him playing quarterback.
So, the Raiders have to stop the run. If they can't do it against the Jets, they'll pay for it the following week against the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers just lost their first game to the Atlanta Falcons, but that team looks ridiculous, and its defense has improved with its recent trades.
That's where the most obvious flaws are, and where Las Vegas can improve fastest. The offense has its own issues, but most of them can't be fixed right now. The biggest issue is the wide receiver room. The offensive line isn't playing great either, but it's good enough to get the passing game going. The run blocking needs to be better.
Ashton Jeanty hasn't done well in the run game, but he's played pretty decently in the passing game. Mike Washington has run well at times. The consistency just isn't there yet, and you can tell the Raiders are trying to fix that with some offensive-line moves. The play calling needs to change, too.
As for the receivers, getting Dont'e Thornton Jr. back might help. I wouldn't bank on it, considering he hasn't played a single snap. Jack Bech will probably be back very soon as well. Beyond those returns, there isn't much Las Vegas can do at that position group.
The defensive line, meanwhile, can step up. We'll see if it does against a bad Jets team that's sitting at 2-5. The Raiders should win this game. A victory snaps the losing streak and gets them back to .500 at 4-4.
From there, Las Vegas would need just two more wins to double last season's win total. At the start of the year, most of us agreed that a successful first season for Klint Kubiak meant doubling last year's win total. The Raiders are three wins away from that goal. Now, they just have to go get the job done.
This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Las Vegas Raiders LB Quay Walker subtly calls out the defense after a tough showing vs. the Los Angeles Rams
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