Oakland’s defense has been one of the worst units in the entire league, and that’s why a shutout came as a surprise—even if it was against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs came into the game averaging 15 points per game, and the Raiders allowed the Chiefs to score 16 in Week 8.
Despite the opponent, the defensive production was impressive. It was also Oakland’s first win without Rolando McClain at middle linebacker since he was drafted. The Raiders knocked around Brady Quinn and stuffed Jamaal Charles. The only player the Raiders had trouble stopping was Kansas City punter Dustin Colquitt.
Since it was against a team like Kansas City, it’s only natural to wonder if the shutout was the result of good defense or bad offense. The Chiefs were without Dwayne Bowe because he was placed on injured reserve earlier in the week, so they were down to just Charles as an offensive weapon.
Defensive-Line Domination
The biggest thing the Raiders did on Sunday was dominate the line of scrimmage.
Everyone knows Charles is the only real weapon the Chiefs have right now, and stopping the run was going to be a key for the Raiders.
The Raiders stopped the run in a big way, and Lamarr Houston played a key role. Defensive ends in a 4-3 set the edge, and Charles loves to turn the corner. Keeping Charles inside and swarming to tackle is usually the best way to stop him.
In the first quarter, Houston blew through tight end Steve Maneri to stop Charles. The Chiefs realized quickly that a tight end would not be able to block Houston, and they dedica...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
