Raiders' biggest surprise has been the opposite of what we thought
This season as a whole isn't quite as surprising as last season, where the Raiders went from a playoff team to picking inside the top 10. This year, we assumed they wouldn't be a team competing for a championship because they were far off last season.So far this season, two things have happened that we […]
This season as a whole isn't quite as surprising as last season, where the Raiders went from a playoff team to picking inside the top 10. This year, we assumed they wouldn't be a team competing for a championship because they were far off last season.
So far this season, two things have happened that we didn't expect, though. We still thought the offense would be good, and it hasn't been at all. The Raiders are last in the NFL in turnover margin because they have several fumbles and interceptions and just one defensive interception, last in rushing, third worst on third down conversions, and the sixth-worst point differential.
The defense, however, has been better than expected. And, defensive coordinator Patrick Graham thinks so too, and thinks they have room to improve.
"I was proud of how we fought in the second half, the poise and the resolve the players showed," Graham told reporters. "It's something we've seen from those guys throughout spring, training camp, practices during the season. But really proud of that; it's something to build on. Again, each week is different, but we can see some progress in terms of third downs, the run game, and tackling was better in the second half.
"And we're going need it this week against Green Bay because they have a dynamic group of receivers; the oline is gelling well together, and the quarterback is getting his feet underneath him. And obviously, Matt [Lafleur] does a really good job schematically, so we're going to need to build upon that for this week coming up."
In their first four games last season, they allowed 25 points per game. In their first four games this season, they allowed 25 points per game, too, but it's the fourth-quarter defense in terms of scoring that we are seeing improved.
The Raiders didn't allow the Chargers to score at all in the second half. However, it was the offense that couldn't keep up. So, when you think about this defense, which is still bad, they held an elite offense to go scoreless in the second half. The defense is improving, even if it doesn't feel like it.
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