It’s a strange juxtaposition: The Raiders are 4-1 and tied for the lead in the AFC West, yet rank 32nd in the NFL – dead last – in team defense.
The Raiders are giving up a whopping 452.2 yards per game, and also allow 27.4 points per game. Oakland also ranks as the league’s most penalized team, having been flagged 49 times for 386 yards.
After five games, the Raiders are surviving only because of an explosive offense that is scoring 28.4 points a game while ranking No. 4 in the league at 391.6 yards per game.
At some point, it seems, those negative numbers on defense and penalties will come back to prove costly to a Raiders team that is trying to get into the postseason for the first time since 2002.
Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio said this week, following the team’s victory over the Chargers, that he and his staff have “zero tolerance” for the penalties and are working to get them cleaned up.
He also believes the Raiders can continue to improve defensively. They took a couple of steps forward recently by promoting linebacker Cory James and safety Karl Joseph into the starting lineup, and may soon get defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. back on the field.
“I think we have a healthy perspective of what we want to look like and knowing that we’re not quite there,” Del Rio told the media this week. “There’s a lot of work in front of us. I don’t think anybody would disagree with that. There’s a long, long season in front of us.”
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As of yet, the pass rush hasn’t been nearly as good as hoped, with the addition of linebacker Bruce Irvin, and the secondary has been burned time and again, even with the addition of two highly regarded free agents in cornerback Sean Smith and safety Reggie Nelson.
In Sunday’s victory over the Chargers, Oakland allowed 431 yards. Del Rio says that’s not acceptable.
“Stop playing Santa Claus,” Del Rio told reporters, in reference to his defense. “Stop giving out presents.”
The Raiders' next opportunity to be more Scrooge than Santa will be Sunday, when the Kansas City Chiefs visiting O.co Coliseum. Kickoff is set for 1:05 p.m.
