Smash hit: Raiders may have struck free-agency gold with Yannick Ngakoue

By Case Keefer (contact)

Friday, Nov. 12, 2021 | 2 a.m.

The Raiders’ recent history has been fraught with free-agency misses, so there might have been some concern when this offseason’s prized signing started relatively slow over the first month of the season.

But no one is worrying about edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue anymore. The six-year veteran, one-time Pro Bowler has more than lived up to the two-year, $26 million deal he signed in March with multiple sacks in three of the Raiders’ last four games.

“There’s a lot of things that have to happen right for a defensive lineman to get a sack, but he’s got some God-given ability,” defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said. “He’s very talented and his get-off has been really well. I think he’s tweaked some things the last few weeks that have benefited him.”

Ngakoue has surpassed Maxx Crosby for the Raiders’ sack lead with six going into Week 10’s Sunday Night Football game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Crosby has still more consistently affected opposing quarterbacks — he leads Ngakoue in both pressures (22-19) and quarterback knockdowns (12-5) — but it’s no longer worth wondering if his breakout has made the acquisition of Ngakoue somewhat unnecessary.

That was a fair question for the first four games with the cheaper, homegrown Crosby far outperforming Ngakoue, but it’s become apparent over time that they’ve both raised each other’s games.

“That’s my brother,” Ngakoue said of Crosby after a two-sack game against the Eagles. “I always notice him looking at me and trying to figure out how he can compete and I’m always doing the same looking at him trying to figure out how to compete and that’s what I love about him.”

Ngakoue’s improved burst off the line that Bradley referenced is partially a result of working with Crosby in sessions that can stretch well past the scheduled end of practices. He’s also benefitted directly from Crosby’s in-game success.

Ngakoue was the more proven rusher coming into the season, so opposing game plans were presumably slanted toward slowing him. Crosby ruined many of those schemes by becoming one of the best pass rushers in the league by a variety of metrics, and now it’s flipped.

Defenses are setting up to slow Crosby, opening up Ngakoue to wreak havoc.

“(Defensive line) Coach (Rod) Marinelli always talks about four equals one and they’ve got to work together,” Bradley said. “If somebody is getting sacks, it’s probably because a lot of other guys are doing some things right too. I know a couple of (Ngakoue’s sacks) Crosby did a good job on his side coming back in, giving Yannick a chance.”

Raiders interim coach Rich Bisaccia had an even simpler explanation for Ngakoue’s recent rise — health. The 26-year-old hasn’t missed any games but appeared to significantly tweak his hamstring in a season-opening win over the Ravens.

Ngakoue was swarming Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson early before the injury seemed to hamper him later in the game. The next week in practice, he sported a complex tape job all the way up his leg and was limited.

He ended up playing against the Steelers in Week 2 but got a season-low 27 snaps and didn’t register any statistics. He didn't record his first sack for the Raiders until a Week 5 loss to the Bears.

Ngakoue continued to power through a sore hamstring and knee but didn’t participate in a full week of practice until the Eagles’ game.

Bisaccia thinks that has paid off more than anything for Ngakoue.

“I think we are seeing the fruition of some of that coming through in the game,” Bisaccia said. “And a lot of the chips sometimes are going Maxx’s way a little bit because he had success early. They are setting protection a little bit to the other side, and (Ngakoue) has had some fortune over there to go against some of the one-on-ones.”

The “competition” between Ngakoue and Crosby, the two defensive captains, is something the Raiders have talked about elevating them all season. But Ngakoue says that’s more about raising each other’s levels in practice and holding each other accountable in things like workouts and eating healthy.

He’s taken little pride in inching past Crosby in the sack count because that’s not where he's set his goal. Ngakoue has bigger, team-oriented aims, just like the Raiders would want for a player they committed to in free agency.

“I wished we won the game,” Ngakoue said when asked about passing Crosby in sacks against the Giants. “At the end of the day, I’m trying to go to the playoffs. That is what I’m in it for.”

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.