How the Raiders have one on-field advantage over every other NFL team
The Las Vegas Raiders have been a whirlwind this season. T he start to Josh McDaniels' first campaign as the Raiders' HC was quite bumpy. The offense looked discombobulated. The defense was inconsistent. Now, the Raiders are catching a bit of their stride. The offense is doing enough to keep games close, while the defense […]
The Las Vegas Raiders have been a whirlwind this season. T
he start to Josh McDaniels' first campaign as the Raiders' HC was quite bumpy. The offense looked discombobulated. The defense was inconsistent.
Now, the Raiders are catching a bit of their stride. The offense is doing enough to keep games close, while the defense has been improving week after week.
The defensive line has been especially impressive over the last month. They're the biggest reason that the Raiders are back in the AFC playoff race.
Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones highlight the defensive unit that's clearly taken a step forward as of late.
Jones has been massive for the Raiders' success in the past handful of weeks.
He started off slow for Las Vegas. That was well documented by the media. Now, he is clearly the second-best player on the defense, and it hasn't been debatable lately.
Maxx Crosby is still arguably a top three player at pass rusher, but Jones has created a unique duo with him.
They are clearly the top defensive end combo in the NFL, and no one comes close right now.
Simply put, Crosby and Jones are making life extremely difficult for opposing quarterbacks. Even if the sacks aren't incredibly consistent, the pressure is.
That's causing turnovers or throwaways consistently. Those plays just allow the Raiders' pass rushers to pin their ears back on late downs.
The duo changes how opposing offenses must prepare for the Raiders. Any deficiency at offensive tackle will make a matchup with the Raiders extremely difficult. Both possess elite talent, and it has been on full display since Las Vegas started to heat up.
No other team can boast the type of top tier talent that the Raiders can off the edge on defense.
Featured Image via USA TODAY-Sports
