After looking like one of the best groups in the NFL, the Las Vegas Raiders defensive line hasn’t been as impactful in recent weeks. The defense only has five sacks over the last three games and is only averaging 2.2 sacks a game, which is tied for 18th in the NFL. The team brought back Darius Philon from Injured Reserve last week and cut Damion Square to make room.
Bringing Philon back didn’t make much of an impact as he didn’t put up any stats on 15 snaps during Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs. He should get back to making an impact as he continues to recover from his injury. In the meantime, the Raiders announced that they’ve decided to bring back Square on the practice squad. It’s a smart move to bring him back as he knows the team’s defense and played under defensive coordinator Gus Bradley for years with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Square only has 0.5 sacks this season but is a veteran who can play some solid run defense. He’s not much of a pass rusher but the Raiders need more help in the run game. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he was activated to the active roster before the season ends.
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Raiders Defense Needs to Show More Consistency
Nobody would argue against the idea that the Raiders defense has looked better under Bradley. They are more competitive every week and make things tougher for offenses. However, on paper, the defense hasn’t shown much improvement. They are allowing 27.7 points per game, which is 31st in the NFL. Last year under Paul Guenther, they allowed 29.9 points per game, which was 30th in the league.
That’s not a good enough improvement considering how much the Raiders have invested in defense over the last year. The issue facing the defense is that they aren’t consistent enough. They’ll have a great performance against the Washington Football Team one week only to allow 48 points to the Chiefs the next. Bradley has done a decent job with the defense but it’s hard to imagine he’ll be brought back under the next head coach if his unit doesn’t show more signs of life over the last four games of the season.
Raiders in for Ugly Game on Saturday
Luckily for the defense, there’s a great opportunity to have a bounce-back game this week against the Cleveland Browns. It’s supposed to be a cold day in Cleveland.
That’s bad news for the Raiders offense but great news for the defense. Under similar conditions last year, Las Vegas beat the Browns in a 16-6 game by playing stout defense and establishing the run. They’ll try to replicate that game plan this week. It could prove successful but the Raiders haven’t proven they can control a game since earlier in the season. A win over Cleveland on Saturday could save what little chances the team has at making the playoffs this year.
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