Oakland Raiders vs Cleveland Browns: Game Preview
August 30, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders outside linebacker
Khalil Mack(52) rushes against Arizona Cardinals tight end
Ifeanyi Momah(80) during the third quarter in a preseason NFL football game at O.co Coliseum. The Cardinals defeated the Raiders 30-23. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Oakland’s Defense
The Oakland defense is a bit of a mixed bag this year. The Raiders defense consists of veteran Super Bowl champions like former Green Bay Packer FS Charles Woodson and former New York Giant DE Justin Tuck. The Raiders have also enlisted the help of one of the most talked about players in the 2015 offseason, LB Aldon Smith.
Before coming to Oakland, Aldon Smith had played his career in San Francisco with the 49ers. In his four years with the ‘Niners, Smith racked up 120 tackles, 44 sacks, 6 interceptions and 6 forced fumbles along with a Pro Bowl berth in 2012.
Unfortunately, Smith has had many run-ins with the law over the past few years. Because of these multiple charges against him, San Francisco ended up letting him go this past summer and Oakland decided to give him a second chance to play in their scheme.
Another big name on this Oakland defense is Khalil Mack. Mack was taken in the 2014 draft with the 5th overall pick by Oakland. He was regarded by many as the best overall player in the draft.
Mack was brought in to eventually become the leader of what Oakland envisioned would be a tough Raiders defense. Mack had a good rookie year, recording 59 tackles, 4 sacks and a forced fumble.
Overall the Raiders defense has a lot of big names throughout the defensive front. However it has yet to live up to its expectations. So far the Raiders have given up 347 yards per game and 25 points per game. While these aren’t horrible stats for the Oakland defense, combining that with a stagnant Raiders offense, overall that doesn’t give the Raiders a huge chance at success.
Oakland’s defense will need to play more towards its potential if they want to get more wins throughout the rest of this season, including this weekend when they come to Cleveland.