The Las Vegas Raiders decided to waive veteran defensive tackle Jonah Laulu this week. The Las Vegas native had a solid season last year, but hadn’t found a role in the defense this season.
After he was cut, he would’ve been a prime candidate to sign to the practice squad, but they won’t get the chance. The Titans were able to claim Laulu off of the waiver wire.
Titans defensive coordinator Gus Bradley was with Laulu on the Indianapolis Colts in 2024, so he has some familiarity with the defender. Tennessee just traded star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons to the Chicago Bears, so now they have a huge need at the position.
This is a good landing spot for Laulu. He gets to play for a coach he’s worked with before, and there’s not much competition to get snaps. If he wants to get back on track, he should get some chances. Since he was claimed off of the waiver wire, he gets placed on the active roster.
Laulu will get a chance at revenge in Week 16, as the Raiders host the Titans in Las Vegas.
Maxx Crosby Talks Raiders’ Run Defense
The Raiders defense isn’t doing much of anything to stop opposing offenses, but it really doesn’t help that the run defense is struggling. They are allowing 143.6 yards per game on the ground, which is third-worst in the NFL.
The Raiders should be much better at defending the run. Maxx Crosby is one of the best run-stuffing defensive ends in the NFL, and Kwity Paye is supposed to be a better run defender than a pass rusher.
Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker aren’t the biggest linebackers, but they’re athletic and strong. Defensive tackle is a big issue, but the Raiders still shouldn’t be this bad. Crosby thinks it comes down to fixing the team’s attitude.
“Run defense comes down to attitude and energy,” Crosby said. “You know what I mean? It’s about whooping a man’s ass, and I’ll bet on us. We just got to be better at whooping ass.”
Raiders Need to Earn Pass Rush Opportunities
The Raiders were rushing the passer as well as any team in the league the first three weeks of the season. They do have 16 sacks on the season, which puts them around the middle of the pack in the NFL.
Crosby only has 2.0 sacks on the season, so the Raiders need more from him. Crosby thinks that the pass rush will improve once the team can start playing the run better.
“We have to get more pass rush opportunities,” Crosby said. “You’ve got to earn it. I love how our guys have been rushing when we’ve gotten those opportunities, but if you don’t stop the run, you can’t do that as much.”
The Raiders have been playing some very good offenses in recent weeks, but now they get to face a struggling Jets team. This could be the perfect time to work out some of the kinks and get the defense back on track. The Raiders have to hope that happens, as the San Francisco 49ers and Christian McCaffrey are on the docket the following week.
Recently Cut Raiders Vet Lands With Week 16 Opponent