It’s been a long road back from the torn ACL that cost Malcolm Koonce the entire 2024 season. While he was cleared to play and participated in the Las Vegas Raiders’ offseason practices and training camp, Koonce didn’t look like he was quite at 100 percent yet and got off to a slow start.
According to Pro Football Focus, the Raiders’ No. 2 pass-rusher had just six pressures on 60 pass rush snaps in Weeks 1 through 3 combined. However, he took a big step toward returning to his 2023 form last Sunday against the Chicago Bears, nearly doubling his pressure total for the season with five on just 28 pass-rush snaps. That tied for the 12th-most among edge defenders for the week, and Koonce’s 26.9 percent win rate also ranked 12th, per PFF.
Perhaps even more significant, Koonce had a strong game against the run, too. His 77.8 PFF run-defense grade was third-best at his position, trailing league leader and teammate Maxx Crosby by just 1.4 points. Granted, the former only recorded 10 snaps as a run defender, but managed to come up with two defensive stops despite the limited opportunities.
So, let’s break down the defensive end’s best performance of the season to date.
The primary reason why Koonce had success on Sunday was that he had a handful of quality reps turning speed to power as a pass-rusher, and the clip above was the best of the bunch.
Chicago puts a tight end and a wide receiver in a reduced split (or near the offensive line) on his side, forcing him to honor the running game or anticipate a chip block post-snap. That’s why Koonce initially eyes the tight end before attacking the left tackle, even though the chip doesn’t come.
Once the tight end releases on the route, Koonce gets his eyes back inside and does a great job of planting his outside foot in the ground to change directions and getting three points of contact (two hands and a facemask) on the tackle’s chest to walk the tackle into quarterback Caleb Williams’ lap.
Granted, Williams ends up completing the pass here. But he at least had to get the ball out quickly, and it went for a short gain on first and 15, keeping the offense behind the sticks.
This time, the Bears do chip block him with the tight end, but the pass-rusher is ready for it and uses a swim move to avoid the contact. Now, it’s a matter of beating the tackle, and he does a great job of using his hands to defeat the tackle’s hands and win around the edge. That forces Williams to scramble and throw on the run, leading to an incompletion.
Granted, I would like to see Koonce finish his pass-rush move with a rip so that he keeps the offensive linemen from pushing him past the quarterback, while also helping him bend and corner at the top of the rush to finish the rep with a sack. Regardless, this is an encouraging rep for the fifth-year pro moving forward, as he showcases another way that he can win when rushing the passer.
There isn’t too much to the rep above; it’s just a clean win by the edge rusher.
The Bears’ tackle doesn’t get enough depth on his pass set and has to open his hips/the gate early, creating a short corner on the edge. Koonce takes advantage by having a perfectly timed cross-chop to make contact with Williams as Williams lets the ball go.
The problem is that the coverage didn’t hold up, so it goes for naught, and Chicago gets the first down. However, like the one before it, these types of reps will pay off later and lead to sacks.
Shifting gears to Koonce defending the run, the clip above isn’t going to make the highlight reel at the end of the year, but it’s sound fundamental football from Koonce.
Chicago runs mid zone where the running back’s aiming point is the B-gap, and the left tackle’s job is to widen the edge defender. However, Koonce does a great job of taking on the tackle’s block with a wide base, good pad level and tight hands. That allows him to hold ground and get extension on the block, effectively setting the edge.
Combined with Jonah Laulu getting penetration against the center, that forces the running back to cutbackside and into the unblocked defender, Devin White, who makes the tackle at the line of scrimmage.
Finally, we’ll wrap up with one of Koonce’s run stops.
The Bears motion a wide receiver across the formation, which takes cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly out of the box as they run outside zone right at Koonce. So, the defensive end doesn’t have the edge support behind him that he had before the receiver started moving, and he takes a big gamble by working inside of the tight end’s block rather than staying outside to force the running back to cut up the field.
However, the risky decision pays off as Koonce defeats the tight end’s block by winning at the point of attack and using a swim move to get penetration in the backfield before making the tackle for a short gain. Like a true Las Vegan, Koonce put all of his money on black and the gamble paid off here.
As referenced above, Koonce still has room for improvement to take some of these reps from good to great. Also, stacking strong performances on top of each other will be the true measure of whether or not he’s “back”. But Sunday was certainly a step in the right direction when it comes to him returning to the 2023 form, where he racked up eight sacks in the Raiders’ final nine games of the season.
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