The offense was supposed to carry the defense in 2012, but the defense looked every bit as bad as it did last year and in some cases, worse. The issues on defense can be attributed to a lack of depth and talent, where the issues on offense seem to be rooted in coaching and scheme.
During the bye week, the Raiders likely did some self-assessment. Where do the Raiders stand and how can they get better? Statistics tell part of the story, but the team may get better or worse depending on scheme adjustments, personnel changes and quality of opponent.
The Statistics
Progress is not always easy to evaluate, but statistics usually help. Statistics don’t tell the whole story, but they do tell part of the story. It’s easy to cherry-pick stats to support an opinion, but in this case, we are only attempting to see how certain areas may be progressing from week to week.
Of the selected statistics, the Raiders rank in the bottom five in the NFL in 13 out of 33. Particularly troubling have been the struggles in the running game, where the Raiders rank in the bottom five in every selected statistic except fumbles.
The pass defense is also struggling, although that is to be expected without both starting cornerbacks injured and a virtually non-existent edge rush. The run defense has been average to below-average compared to the rest of the NFL.
The only bright spot statistically are the penalties and penalty yards, where the Raiders have the second-fewest in the league. It’s possible in an attempt to solve the penalty issue that Dennis Allen has neutered the aggressiveness of hi...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Oakland Raiders
