Film room: Raiders’ run defense reaches new low against Steelers

Pittsburgh set season highs while Las Vegas had season lows

While the Las Vegas Raiders struggling to stop the run in Week 6 against the Pittsburgh Steelers is nothing new for the Silver and Black this season, the Raiders’ run defense reached a new low in the contest.

Not only did the Steelers have their highest-scoring game of the season by nine points, but Pittsburgh also rushed for a season-high 183 yards, 42 more yards than any other contest the team played in this year.

Also, running back Najee Harris had his first 100-yard performance of the campaign, 36 more yards than his previous best game this season, and averaged 7.6 yards per carry despite entering the afternoon averaging 3.3 yards per clip. Adding to that, quarterback Justin Fields had his best showing on the ground in 2024 with 59 yards and a couple of touchdowns.

What made this week particularly bad for Las Vegas, and what issues continue to haunt them? Let’s dive into the tape and take a look.

For starters, this is a bad pre-snap alignment for the Raiders. I’m making an assumption here, but it looks like Matthew Butler (No. 91, the left defensive tackle) should be lined up inside shade on the right tackle instead of outside shade on the tackle. That would put the defense in a bear front where Butler is responsible for the B-gap and Jack Jones can fill the alley.

To make matters worse, Butler ends up getting reached by the tight end and scooped out of the C-gap while nose tackle John Jenkins gets combo blocked into Robert Spillane. So, while Las Vegas has the front side gaps plugged up against this inside zone run from Pittsburgh, there’s a massive cutback lane for Harris.

Between bad alignment and two defensive tackles getting kicked out of their gaps, the Steelers pick up nearly 15 yards on the ground.

The Raiders’ issues with tackling have been well-documented recently and this past weekend Pro Football Focus had them on the hook for 13 misses, which honestly feels a little low.

Adam Butler, the left defensive tackle, has a great rep initially where he splits a combo block to get penetration. However, Butler doesn’t finish and misses the tackle, and Nate Hobbs has a similar rep where he also gets into the backfield but lets Harris slip through his arms.

Then, Divine Deablo has a chance to make the play but falls off the tackle and the same goes for Isaiah Pola-Mao. Meanwhile, Harris gets about 15 yards after contact and carries a couple of defenders for another chunk gain on the ground on what should have been a tackle for loss or minimal yardage.

On top of all of that, Jenkins is knocked off the line of scrimmage by a double team and Robert Spillane gets sealed on the second level. Granted, that would be irrelevant if one of those tackles mentioned above gets properly executed

This shouldn’t come as a surprise but the Raiders were missing Christian Wilkins on Sunday and this rep is a good example of why.

We’ll start with Adam Butler at the right defensive tackle spot. Based on his initial movement and how Deablo comes downhill to fill the B-gap, Butler is responsible for the playside A-gap against this outside zone run from Pittsburgh.

Initially, the defensive tackle is doing a good job of working laterally and avoiding getting reached. However, he gets too far outside and loses control of his gap which is where the lane the running back runs through opens up.

Now, that wouldn’t be as big of an issue if the other defensive tackle, Matthew Butler, wasn’t getting reached by the backside cut-off block from the right guard. Instead, the cutback lane is even wider and it turns into another chunk gain for the Steelers on the ground.

Overall, Deablo had a good game against Pittsburgh, but he did have a few instances where he got in trouble trying to run through blocks instead of taking them on with his hands.

He’s responsible for the backside C-gap against this inside zone run and while he gets to his gap, Deablo tries to run through Darnell Washington’s chest. The problem with that is Washington is massive (6’7” and 265 pounds) and the linebacker isn’t using his hands to get extension and be able to get off the block. So, against a good blocking tight end who can absorb contact, Deablo can’t escape and be in a position to make the tackle.

To make matters worse, Jones comes downhill to fill the alley and gets juked out of his shoes. Had Jones just kept his momentum going and ran through Harris’ outside leg instead of breaking down in the hole, this play might have gone for a few yards instead of over 25.

Harris’ touchdown run that virtually put the nail in the Raiders’ coffin was the result of a collection of errors.

First, it looks like Las Vegas gets caught trying to run a stunt or line game with Adam Butler and Maxx Crosby. Butler works wide while Crosby tries to loop around him, which is perfect for Pittsburgh’s outside run call as they’re trying to pin the defense inside. On a related note, Deablo tries to run through Washington’s chest again, only to also get pinned inside.

But even with all of that, Spillane has an opportunity to make a tackle for loss and stop this play in its tracks. However, he over-pursues and misses which ends up screening or picking Hobbs and preventing Hobbs from making the tackle.

Finally, more missed tackles ensue and it’s a race to the endzone which Harris wins to put six points on the board.

This last clip serves as an example of how the Raiders weren’t ready to defend against Fields’ legs.

The Steelers run a fake toss to Harris and watch Tre’von Moehrig’s and Spillane’s eyes/heads. Those two flow hard toward Harris after the fake and don’t recognize that Fields still has the ball until it’s too late.

What’s frustrating is the offensive line is blocking for Fileds on a pin-and-pull concept. So, had Moehrig and Spillane stayed disciplined and read their keys while recognizing that they were facing a running quarterback, at least one of them would be in a position to make the tackle.

Instead, Pittsburgh is able to seal Charles Snowden with a crack block on the edge and Hobbs is left to take on two offensive linemen by himself. So, Fields goes nearly untouched into the endzone.

There were a handful of other reps like this where it seemed as if the defense didn’t even know it was playing against a good running quarterback.