The Las Vegas Raiders’ defense has focused on creating more turnovers since last season and continued to do so into this offseason during Organized Team Activities and training camp. It has been a constant focus for the unit.
They failed to force a turnover against the Los Angeles Chargers. Linebacker Robert Spillane’s interception against the Baltimore Ravens marked the defense’s first forced turnover of the season, and it could not have come at a better time.
Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham said the defense’s mindset regarding turnovers this season is taking the ball away instead of hoping the opposing offense makes a mistake and turns it over. Graham said he wants the defense to be aggressive regarding forcing turnovers.
"The biggest thing for us on defense -- people talk about turnovers -- for us, the right mindset for it is takeaways,” Graham said. “We want to take the ball away. We know how much they're going to cherish the ball. That's the most important thing that any offensive coach is going to talk to on the offensive side of the ball. So, to think that they're going to just turn it over, that wouldn't be responsible by those guys, and they're professionals.
“So, if you want the ball, you've got to go take the ball away. That's the attitude that any defensive player, any good defensive player I've been around -- the guys that we're talking about in terms of our defense. So, the point is to go take the ball away on defense, takeaways, not necessarily turnovers. So, in terms of what we're trying to strive to, we want to take the ball away from the offense."
The Raiders significantly improved in the turnover category last season compared to the season prior. It was well known that the Raiders would be led by its defense as the offense figured things out. That will continue to be the case throughout the season. Although the offense played well in the fourth quarter against the Ravens, they will still need the defense to not only play well but force turnovers to give the Raiders’ offense extra possessions.
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