The Las Vegas Raiders’ run defense was a mixed bag of results in Week 9 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Raiders kept the Jaguars to 3.6 yards per carry as a team, and running backs Travis Etienne Jr. (22 carries, 84 yards) and Bhayshul Tuten (nine carries, 29 yards) were held to 3.8 and 3.2 ypc, respectively. Also, Las Vegas’ defense created several negative plays with seven tackles for loss. However, Jacksonville still managed to accumulate 151 yards and a handful of chunk gains on the ground.
So, what made the difference between the Silver and Black’s run stuffs, and where the unit’s run defense wasn’t up to snuff? Let’s flip on the tape and find out.
The biggest reason the Raiders were able to create negative plays in the running game is that defensive tackle Adam Butler defeated several blocks with the swim move seen above throughout the game. That’s how he recorded both 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 in the A-gap as a 2i-technique. Now, he does gamble here by working across the guard’s face and into the B-gap, which linebacker Elandon Roberts is attacking. However, the bet pays off as Butler manages to make the guard miss with the swim move, allowing him to quickly beat the combo block from the guard and tackle.
That combined with keeping his pads low and using a rip prevents the tackle from being able to get a clean block on him, and allows the defeder to get back in his gap to make the play in the backfield.
This time, the Jaguars run inside zone with Butler on the backside of the play. He and Roberts are gap-exchanging post-snap this time, meaning Roberts is responsible for the A-gap while Butler works into the B-gap despite the two defenders lining up in the other’s assignment.
The defensive tackle uses that to his advantage, attacking the guard square before using his quickness and the same swim move seen previously to defeat the block and fill the B-gap. To finish, he comes flat down the line of scrimmage to hit Etienne in the backfield and make the tackle for no gain.
Meanwhile, Maxx Crosby is on the playside and is the one gambling this time, leaving the C-gap open while using his quickness and athleticism to defeat the tight end’s block to the outside. Then, he shows off some impressive flexibility and bend to get back into the C-gap and factor into the tackle with Butler.
You might have noticed Crosby winning in the previous play, too. The two defensive linemen were the Raiders’ biggest keys to creating negative plays in the run game on Sunday. For the most part, if they weren’t getting penetration, Las Vegas had a hard time recording stops.
One more positive rep for the Silver and Black before we dive into the bad ones, and the theme of Crosby and/or Butler getting penetration continues.
The breakdown is pretty simple here: the Jaguars run duo and Madd Maxx just beat the extra offensive lineman in the game at tight end with a great get-off and rip move to get into the backfield. Also, Crosby does a good job of skinking his hips and getting his shoulders square to avoid getting washed down the line of scrimmage. That also puts him in a perfect position to get a clean tackle on the back and register a TFL.
More than anything, this first chunk run is the result of a good play design from Jacksonville’s head coach and offensive play-caller, Liam Coen.
Coen dials up influence wham, where the left guard trap blocks the edge defender (Malcolm Koonce) and the right guard trap blocks the defensive tackle (Jonah Laulu). This play is designed to confuse linebackers, as Devin White sees the guard he’s lined up across from and starts to move in the same direction as the guard. That makes the right tackle’s second-level block easier, since White is already moving in the direction the tackle wants him to go, resulting in the linebacker getting sealed inside.
Additionally, Coen has the wide receiver motion across the formation and fake a split zone block on Crosby, getting Crosby to hesitate and preventing him from squeezing down the line of scrimmage or crashing inside to have a clean tackle on the running back, leading to the miss.
Also, the Raiders get caught gap exchanging as Butler tries to win across the center’s face with the swim move seen above. But that’s where the center wants the defensive tackle to go, and all of this creates a crease in the middle of the defense for Etienne to exploit for a big gain.
Another play that really hurt the Raiders on Sunday was outside zone toss.
Jacksonville comes out in 12 personnel with an extra offensive lineman at one of the two tight end spots. Las Vegas responds by putting White and strong safety Jeremy Chinn on the line of scrimmage and over the extra lineman and natural tight end, respectively. The problem is that Chinn gets blocked to the sideline by the tight end while White gets driven about five yards backward by the extra lineman.
Also, Crosby gambles by trying to duck inside the left tackle’s reach block but doesn’t get a clean win and ends up running into the left guard. So, the Raiders don’t have anyone setting the edge while Etienne exploits the rushing lane and really makes the defense pay by forcing a missed tackle against Isaiah Pola-Mao for a 20-yard run that sets the Jaguars up with a first and goal inside the five-yard line.
The Jags run the same play out of the same formation (just to the wide side of the field this time), and the playside defenders do a better job of running their feet and working laterally to avoid getting reached. That prevents Etienne from having an outside rushing lane; however, the interior defenders don’t hold up their end of the bargain.
First, Leki Fotu is lined up as a 1-technique nose tackle on the backside of the play and gets his shoulders turned by the center before the guard takes over and seals Fotu outside on the scoop block. At the same time, Butler is the 3-technique defensive tackle on the playside and never gains control of the block against the right guard, resulting in him getting pushed backward a couple of yards and covered up by the guard.
Meanwhile, Roberts hesitates and loses control of his gap, where the center has an angle on him after helping scoop Fotu on the first level. So, the linebacker panics and tries to run through the center. 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 in the other direction.
All of that gives Etienne a cutback lane, which he exploits for a first down that nearly puts Jacksonville in the red zone.
As mentioned above, unless Butler or Crosby got penetration on Sunday, the Raiders had a tough time keeping the Jaguars behind the sticks. The defense needs other players to step up and be more consistent, especially when it comes to the linebackers, as both Roberts and White struggled against Jacksonville.
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