Raiders’ Defensive Line: The Ultimate Underdog Story: Franchise History Made Despite…
The Las Vegas Raiders didn’t get quite the production from their defense that they hoped they would based on what we saw from them last year, but they haven’t been terrible, especially when it comes to the pass rush. Last season the defense was a top-three unit in the league, some would argue.
This season, they are about middle of the pack, maybe in that 10-15 range. But, somehow, even with the crazy injuries they have had on the defensive line and on the defense in general, they have done some pretty impressive things in terms of the franchise’s history.
The Raiders’ defense has faced considerable challenges due to a series of injuries throughout the season. Standout players such as Malcolm Koonce and Christian Wilkins have been out of action for a while now, and in Koonce’s situation — the whole season, with Wilkins sidelined for a significant period due to a foot injury that necessitated surgery.
Safety Marcus Epps has been ruled out for the rest of the year after suffering an ACL tear against the Carolina Panthers. Defensive end Maxx Crosby, who may be the best player on the team, has also been impacted by a high ankle sprain that caused him to miss against the Cleveland Browns and the Falcons, and, linebacker Divine Deablo missed a ton of time due to an oblique injury.
The absence of these vital players has severely compromised the Raiders’ defensive capabilities, particularly in run defense and pass rushing, resulting in a noticeable decline in performance and struggles against opposing teams’ offenses. But, somehow they have still shown up.
The Raiders and their defensive line will play the Jacksonville Jaguars next.
