Oakland Raiders: 3 Vital statistics for 2019 season
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Perhaps no piece of information sums up the frustrations that the Silver and Black have had on the defensive side of the ball than reminiscing about the last time the Raiders reached the playoffs. It was 2016 and the club finished 12-4, capturing a wild card berth. While quarterback Derek Carr had a monster season, relentless Khalil Mack was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
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But in ’16, the Oakland defense gave up the seventh-most total yards in the NFL and a disappointing 45 offensive touchdowns. In fact, the Raiders haven’t finished in the top half of the league in total defense since 2010. The club’s highest ranking over the past eight seasons was just 18th in 2012.
So this offseason, it was another year of change on this side of the football. The newcomers include veterans such as linebacker Vontaze Burfict and free safety Lamarcus Joyner. General manager Mike Mayock used two of the team’s three first-round draft choices on defensive end Clelin Ferell and safety Johnathan Abram.
The defensive front is loaded with young players such as Ferrell and second-year pros such as Arden Key, P.J. Hall and Maurice Hurst, with veteran Johnathan Hankins securing the middle.
But there’s the elephant in the room. Where will the pass rush come from in 2019? The Raiders managed a paltry 13 sacks last season, a total surpassed or equaled by 11 players a year ago?