What’s wrong with the Raiders run defense?
Last year, while the Oakland Raiders struggled to defend against the pass, they did rather well against the run. In fact, at one point, they had the second best run defense in the entire NFL. This preseason, however, the Raiders have been getting gashed left and right in the run game. So what’s going wrong and what can the team do to fix what is looking like a rather big problem?
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Block Shedding
First and foremost, players are simply not winning their one on one battles. From the defensive linemen to the linebackers, play after play I’ve watched as Raiders defenders were swallowed up by blockers, never to be seen again. One of the biggest keys to winning in the run game is shedding blocks and making plays. Trying to avoid blockers is a great way to take yourself out of the play. Instead, a good defender takes the blocker head on, reads where the running back is going then sheds the block in order to make a tackle. So far, we’ve seen very few linebackers shedding blocks to make plays, just linebackers getting overtaken by blockers while running backs make it to the second level with ease.
This might be the most important thing the Raiders need to fix. The problem is, this has nothing to do with scheme or play calling. It has to do with one on one competition, and recently the Raiders have been losing those battles.
Gap Responsibilities
The Raiders run a defense that requires defenders to be responsible certain “gaps.” A gap is an area typically between two linemen. For example, a defensive tackle might be responsible for the gap between the center and the right guard. When a play begins, it is that defender’s responsibility to make sure the running back cannot attack that gap. The problem is, this defense requires a lot of discipline. It’s easy to see a gap before the snap, but once nine 300+ pound men start fighting each other, it’s not so clear. Maintaining gap discipline has been an issue this preseason and a major reason why the Raiders have struggled in run defense. This is fixable, but unlike form or technique, this isn’t something that’s teachable. Players simply need to play with more discipline.
Push on the Line of Scrimmage
Part of the issue has been pretty simple. The defensive line has been losing the battle at the line of scrimmage. When the ball is snapped, you will see Raiders linemen being pushed back off of their spots. Once this happens, it doesn’t matter if you have good gap responsibility or can shed your blocks because by the time the running back is on you, he’s already picked up five yards. First and foremost, the Raiders need to start winning the battle in the trenches and stop being pushed off of their spots. Too often this preseason we’ve seen the trenches move a good four to five feet into the second level of the defense before the back is even handed the ball. The Raiders simply cannot give up that much push at the point of attack and hope to maintain a strong run defense.
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