Getty Matt Ioannidis sacking Derek Carr.
Through three games, Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackles have generated 1.0 sack. Last season, Raiders defensive tackles generated 3.0 sacks in 17 games.
The team has struggled to generate a consistent interior pass rush and Bleacher Report believes that free agent Matthew Ioannidis is a player they should consider signing.
“Simply put, the Raiders have to find a way to fix their pass rush,” the BR NFL Staff wrote in a September 25 column.”Through two games, the team posted a 10.5 percent pressure rate. That figure was worst in the league by three percentage points, with the Chargers and Giants at 13.5 percent.
“Having Chandler Jones out of the lineup hasn’t helped, but neither has having just one pressure from a defensive lineman not named Maxx Crosby in the first two weeks of the season. Matt Ioannidis is still available and has 25.5 career sacks in seven seasons.”
Ioannidis spent last season with the Carolina Panthers but hasn’t been able to land with this season. He’s coming off a year where he only had 1.0 sack but had 24.5 in six years with the Washington Commanders. Though he hasn’t had more than 2.5 sacks in a season since 2019, he’d be a low-risk addition for the Raiders to make if they want to shake up the interior of their defensive line.
MATT IOANNIDIS IS UNDERAPPRECIATED 🦍‼️
Maxx Crosby Agrees With Davante Adams Comments
Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams raised some eyebrows after the team’s 23-18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers where he made some strong comments about the state of the team.
“We’ve got to be real with ourselves,” Adams said during his September 24 postgame media availability. “We get these opportunities to watch tape together and do these constructive things, we’ve got to get something out of it. That’s not just talking, but it’s about putting it to action and figuring out what’s wrong and doing something about it so that way when we go out there the next time it looks different.”
Adams is a team captain and is doing his part. He had 13 catches for 172 yards and two touchdowns in Week 3. Defensive end Maxx Crosby also had a strong game with a sack and he echoed what Adams was saying after the game.
“Davante is 100 percent right and he has a right to be frustrated because that dude shows up every day and he gets better,” Crosby said, via Raiders.com. “Me and him are tight as ever because that’s how we are since day one. That’s why he’s elite and he has a right to feel that way, and I feel the exact same way. We’ve got to stop beating ourselves. It’s something we’ve got to look at and find out how we can avoid doing that.”
Las Vegas Raiders Season Could Get Ugly
The Raiders’ next three games are against tough opponents. The Los Angeles Chargers were in the playoffs last season, the Green Bay Packers are 2-1 and the New England Patriots are always competitive with Bill Belichick as the head coach. Getting off to a 1-6 start would effectively kill the team’s chances of making a playoff run.
Maxx Crosby and Davante Adams are right to express a sense of urgency in regards to the team turning things around. The Raiders have too many good players to improve upon the six-win season last year.