The Las Vegas Raiders‘ defense hasn’t just been bad this season – it’s at risk of being historically bad. With one more game of allowing 30+ points, the team would set the record for most consecutive games of giving up that many points (7).
Defensive coordinator Rob Leonard got off to a good start to the season, but is now on the hot seat. The Raiders spent a lot of money on the defense in free agency, so they shouldn’t be this bad.
This is Leonard’s first year calling a defense, and he’s clearly struggling. He hasn’t been helped by the fact that the Raiders have been playing some very good offenses.
After giving up 38 points to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 9, many were ready for the Raiders to move on. Instead, head coach Klint Kubiak came out and made it clear he wasn’t firing Leonard right now. He needs to turn the defense around soon if he’s going to keep his job, but he appreciated Kubiak sticking his neck out for him.
“It means a lot,” Leonard said of Kubiak’s vote of confidence. “Not too many people in this profession do things like that. … I can’t tell you how much respect I have for Klint Kubiak; it was very humbling.”
Leonard Knows the Defense Needs to Improve
The Raiders are allowing 29.8 points a game right now, which is the worst in the NFL. It’s going to be hard to win games allowing that many points.
The Raiders have the eighth-best scoring offense, but are only 4-5 right now due to the defense not doing their part. There have been flashes of the team’s defense making plays, but it’s been far too inconsistent.
Leonard is aware of the issues and feeling a sense of urgency to improve things.
“I know what we want to do, how we want to do it; there’s evidence of us doing it; we have to do it more consistently,” Leonard said. “There’s a weight that you feel, that you carry, especially when the offense is scoring, that we need to do our part … we have to show improvement.”
Leonard Talks Fernando Mendoza
Though Leonard coaches the defense, he gets an up-close look at the offensive players every day. One player he has definitely had his eye on is rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
As the No. 1 pick in the draft, it’s hard not to pay attention to him at practice, even though he’s been the backup. With Kirk Cousins traded to the Minnesota Vikings, it’s not Mendoza’s time to start. Leonard opened up about what he’s seen from the young quarterback.
“Tight window throws,” Leonard said of Mendoza. “He’s on the scout team; anticipation. It’s been fun to see him mature. (He’s) Been playing with a lot of confidence.”
It would help Mendoza a lot if the defense could step up. It’s not ideal to put that kind of pressure on a rookie to score points. The Raiders are playing a Seattle Seahawks team that is starting a backup quarterback, so there’s no excuse not to have some success.
Rob Leonard Responds to Klint Kubiak’s Decision to Not Fire Him