The Las Vegas Raiders’ run defense was a blended bag of ends in Week 9 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Raiders stored the Jaguars to 3.6 yards per carry as a crew, and operating backs Travis Etienne Jr. (22 carries, 84 yards) and Bhayshul Tuten (9 carries, 29 yards) had been held to three.8 and 3.2 ypc, respectively. Also, Las Vegas’ defense created a number of adverse performs with seven tackles for loss. However, Jacksonville nonetheless managed to build up 151 yards and a handful of chunk features on the bottom.
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So, what made the distinction between the Silver and Black’s run stuffs, and the place the unit’s run defense wasn’t as much as snuff? Let’s flip on the tape and discover out.
The greatest purpose the Raiders had been capable of create adverse performs within the operating recreation is that defensive sort out Adam Butler defeated a number of blocks with the swim transfer seen above all through the sport. That’s how he recorded each of his tackles for loss and was credited with three defensive stops from Pro Football Focus.
In this clip, Jacksonville runs duo with Butler lined up within the A-gap as a 2i-technique. Now, he does gamble right here by working throughout the guard’s face and into the B-gap, which linebacker Elandon Roberts is attacking. However, the guess pays off as Butler manages to make the guard miss with the swim transfer, permitting him to rapidly beat the combo block from the guard and sort out.
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That mixed with preserving his pads low and utilizing a rip prevents the sort out from having the ability to get a clear block on him, and permits the defeder to get again in his hole to make the play within the backfield.
This time, the Jaguars run inside zone with Butler on the bottom of the play. He and Roberts are gap-exchanging post-snap this time, which means Roberts is answerable for the A-gap whereas Butler works into the B-gap regardless of the 2 defenders lining up within the different’s project.
The defensive sort out makes use of that to his benefit, attacking the guard sq. earlier than utilizing his quickness and the identical swim transfer seen beforehand to defeat the block and fill the B-gap. To end, he comes flat down the road of scrimmage to hit Etienne within the backfield and make the sort out for no achieve.
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Meanwhile, Maxx Crosby is on the playside and is the one playing this time, leaving the C-gap open whereas utilizing his quickness and athleticism to defeat the tight finish’s block to the surface. Then, he exhibits off some spectacular flexibility and bend to get again into the C-gap and issue into the sort out with Butler.
You might need seen Crosby profitable within the earlier play, too. The two defensive linemen had been the Raiders’ greatest keys to creating adverse performs within the run recreation on Sunday. For probably the most half, in the event that they weren’t getting penetration, Las Vegas had a tough time recording stops.
One extra constructive rep for the Silver and Black earlier than we dive into the dangerous ones, and the theme of Crosby and/or Butler getting penetration continues.
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The breakdown is fairly easy right here: the Jaguars run duo and Madd Maxx simply beat the additional offensive lineman within the recreation at tight finish with an excellent get-off and rip transfer to get into the backfield. Also, Crosby does job of skinking his hips and getting his shoulders sq. to keep away from getting washed down the road of scrimmage. That additionally places him in an ideal place to get a clear sort out on the again and register a TFL.
More than something, this primary chunk run is the consequence of play design from Jacksonville’s head coach and offensive play-caller, Liam Coen.
Coen dials up affect wham, the place the left guard entice blocks the sting defender (Malcolm Koonce) and the suitable guard entice blocks the defensive sort out (Jonah Laulu). This play is designed to confuse linebackers, as Devin White sees the guard he’s lined up throughout from and begins to maneuver in the identical path because the guard. That makes the suitable sort out’s second-level block simpler, since White is already transferring within the path the sort out desires him to go, ensuing within the linebacker getting sealed inside.
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Additionally, Coen has the broad receiver movement throughout the formation and pretend a cut up zone block on Crosby, getting Crosby to hesitate and stopping him from squeezing down the road of scrimmage or crashing inside to have a clear sort out on the operating again, resulting in the miss.
Also, the Raiders get caught hole exchanging as Butler tries to win throughout the middle’s face with the swim transfer seen above. But that’s the place the middle desires the defensive sort out to go, and all of this creates a crease within the center of the defense for Etienne to take advantage of for an enormous achieve.
Another play that actually damage the Raiders on Sunday was exterior zone toss.
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Jacksonville comes out in 12 personnel with an additional offensive lineman at one of the 2 tight finish spots. Las Vegas responds by placing White and robust security Jeremy Chinn on the road of scrimmage and over the additional lineman and pure tight finish, respectively. The downside is that Chinn will get blocked to the sideline by the tight finish whereas White will get pushed about 5 yards backward by the additional lineman.
Also, Crosby gambles by attempting to duck contained in the left sort out’s attain block however doesn’t get a clear win and finally ends up operating into the left guard. So, the Raiders don’t have anybody setting the sting whereas Etienne exploits the dashing lane and actually makes the defense pay by forcing a missed sort out against Isaiah Pola-Mao for a 20-yard run that units the Jaguars up with a primary and aim contained in the five-yard line.
The Jags run the identical play out of the identical formation (simply to the broad facet of the sector this time), and the playside defenders do a greater job of operating their ft and working laterally to keep away from getting reached. That prevents Etienne from having an outdoor dashing lane; nevertheless, the inside defenders don’t maintain up their finish of the discount.
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First, Leki Fotu is lined up as a 1-technique nostril sort out on the bottom of the play and will get his shoulders turned by the middle earlier than the guard takes over and seals Fotu exterior on the inside track block. At the identical time, Butler is the 3-technique defensive sort out on the playside and by no means features management of the block against the suitable guard, leading to him getting pushed backward a pair of yards and coated up by the guard.
Meanwhile, Roberts hesitates and loses management of his hole, the place the middle has an angle on him after serving to scoop Fotu on the primary stage. So, the linebacker panics and tries to run by means of the middle. However, since he’s working laterally and not coming downhill, that doesn’t work, and Roberts’ momentum takes him out of the play or too far within the different path.
All of that provides Etienne a cutback lane, which he exploits for a primary down that just about places Jacksonville within the crimson zone.
As talked about above, until Butler or Crosby acquired penetration on Sunday, the Raiders had a tricky time preserving the Jaguars behind the sticks. The defense wants different gamers to step up and be extra constant, particularly in the case of the linebackers, as each Roberts and White struggled against Jacksonville.