DESPERATE DEFENSIVE LINE

It is no secret that the key to a good defense starts up front. Playing well in the trenches can make up for a host of troubles on the back end and makes any defensive coordinator’s job much, much easier.

The same holds true in reverse.

A team that has trouble pressuring opposing quarterbacks or can’t stop the run only magnifies the other problems that are on the defense.

Welcome to the 2020 Las Vegas Raiders.

A year after making significant strides both in the pass rush and run defense, the Raiders have taken multiple steps backward. Through 12 games Las Vegas was tied for 29th in sacks with the Jacksonville Jaguars, while the run defense dropped from eighth in 2019 to 20th, allowing 23 more yards a game than it did a year ago.

The Raiders, of course, see things more optimistically. Defensive coordinator Paul Guenther, who has been under fire for most of the season, argues that the stats are misleading. When it comes to sacks, Guenther says the Raiders have improved their pass rush and are getting a ton of quarterback hurries. Of the run defense, Guenther notes that they’ve only had two real bad games in that department, against the New England Patriots and New York Jets.

The players know better.