The Las Vegas Raiders‘ defense looked like a really solid unit the first three games of the season, but as the competition has gotten stiffer in the past two games, the defense has fallen apart. They are allowing 377 yards per game, which is sixth-worst in the NFL.
The Raiders spent a lot of money on the defense in free agency. One of the biggest signings was defensive end Kwity Paye, who got a $48 million deal. He looked like he’d be an impact player in Week 1, but has been a total non-factor in recent weeks. This led ESPN’s Ryan McFadden to call out Paye for his lack of production.
“The Raiders signed Paye to a three-year, $48 million deal with the hope that he could improve their pass rush and be a reliable running mate to Crosby,” McFadden wrote. “His performance in the season-opening win over the Dolphins suggested as much. Paye recorded two sacks and five pressures.
“Since then, Paye’s production has declined drastically. In 154 defensive snaps over the past four games, Paye has six tackles, four run stops, three quarterback pressures and no sacks. Paye has been nonexistent to the point where Malcolm Koonce has made a strong case for more playing time.”
Paye Needs to ‘Step Up’
Maxx Crosby is still an elite player, but he can’t do everything by himself. When he gets help, he becomes a much more effective player.
McFadden put Paye on notice.
“In 110 defensive snaps during this stretch, Koonce has totaled eight tackles, eight run stops, 12 quarterback pressures and three sacks. Koonce’s pressure total of 17 is second on the team,” McFadden wrote.
“The Raiders need Paye to step up, especially since opponents are chipping and double-teaming Crosby — who has a team-high 25 pressures — frequently. Crosby has been chipped 36 times — fifth-most in the league. He has faced double teams on 10.1% of his pass rush snaps.”
Raiders Not Losing Faith in Paye Yet
Despite the lack of impact, Paye played a season-high 49 snaps against the New England Patriots in Week 5. The Raiders clearly aren’t giving up on him yet.
The problem is that he only had one combined tackle in those 49 defensive snaps. That’s simply not good enough for a Raiders team that gave him a lot of money.
There was a lot of criticism when the team paid him, but the hope was that he’d be an impact player in the run game. The Raiders have one of the worst run defenses in the NFL right now. That’s not all on Paye, but he’s clearly not doing much to help.
Las Vegas is going to keep giving him chances, as there’s no way to get out of his contract right now. He’s only had five games in the system, so perhaps he’ll make a bigger impact down the road. If he continues to play poorly, it could be time to give more opportunities to other players.
Malcolm Koonce only played 32 snaps against the Patriots, but he’s been a more effective player. He currently leads the Raiders with 3.0 sacks this season.
Kwity Paye Put on Notice Amid Rocky Raiders Start