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We know the Raiders defense has serious issues. We also know their pass rush is the worst in the NFL. And yet just how bad it is hasn’t quite been quantified until a recent stat. It ain’t all bad, though, which might be of some comfort.
This stat is absolutely bananas.
OK, this is insane. The worst pass D by DVOA is Oakland. But OAK also is now ranked 1st vs. WR1s and 4th vs. WR2s. The rest of OAK's pass D is so horrendous - especially the pass rush - that they shut down your starting wideouts and it DOESN'T EVEN MATTER. https://t.co/eHWrPV4Sts
— Aaron Schatz (@FO_ASchatz) December 5, 2018
The Raiders have 10 sacks in 12 games this season. TEN. That isn’t just the fewest sacks in the league, it’s so bad, it’s nearly HALF the next fewest — the Giants and Patriots each have 19. As Aaron Schatz says, it’s so bad that basically nothing else the defense does matters.
Now let’s look at glass half full.
For the Raiders’ cornerbacks to rank 1st against the opposing team’s number one receiver and 4th against their number two DESPITE that terrible pass rush is an astounding feat.
It tells you just how good the duo of Gareon Conley and Daryl Worley have been. Worley is on a one-year deal and he must be a top priority to sign to a long term deal. Conley has as many has three years left on his rookie deal, so he is already part of the team’s long term plans.
The answer to their pass rush woes is probably not in-house which means finding one is crucial. Probably two. Maybe even a couple first round picks and perhaps spending big money on a free agent too. That’s what we call irony.
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