Last season, the Oakland Raiders were one of the best teams in the league. Derek Carr had the offense firing on all cylinders while All-Pro defensive end Khalil Mack did what he could to keep the defense from ruining things for the promising young squad.
Although Mack is considered an elite defensive player if not the best all-around player on that side of the football in the NFL, the Raiders defense has struggled to make an impact and seems to be the team's Achilles' heel.
Following the loss to the division rival Denver Broncos, Mack emphasized wanting to see a different attitude from the defense, via ESPN's Paul Gutierrez.
“The thing about football, man, it's a team game,” said Mack after losing to the Denver Broncos. “And we've got to execute better defensively, especially starting early. Can't give up touchdowns — we held them to field goals, that's cool — but we've got to get to the point where we can shut teams out. That's got to be the attitude coming into the game.
“If the offense is slow to start, or whatever, it really doesn't concern us. We've got to do our job, especially on the road. We've got to bring some more energy and get more turnovers.”
The Raiders need their players on the defensive side of the football to step up now more than ever. The team has lost two straight games and their star quarterback to injury.
Carr will miss the next two to six weeks meaning E.J. Manuel will be filling the void and solid play defensively is desperately needed to keep this team in the playoff hunt.
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