Opening game to provide insight on Raiders’ enigmatic new defense

By Case Keefer (contact)

Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022 | 2 a.m.

The Raiders’ offense was forced to deal with an unforeseen challenge when they scrimmaged against the New England Patriots late last month.

At the end of the first of two joint practices, the team turned down the music so coach Josh McDaniels could call out plays from the sidelines to run a two-minute drill. McDaniels later admitted to not thinking that through too well considering the Patriots are his former team and letting them hear his play calls only further aided them in knowing what plays were coming.

“Their whole sideline is yelling what it is,” McDaniels said at the time. “I thought that was funny. We didn’t have much success with it.”

The familiarity won’t be as stark during the regular season, including the Raiders’ opening game at 1:25 p.m. Sunday in Los Angeles against the Chargers. Opponents outside the Patriots aren’t intimately knowledgeable with the terminology and philosophy of McDaniels’ offense, but it’s still more of a proven commodity after he’s spent two decades in the NFL.

Las Vegas’s new offense hasn’t been designed to fool anyone. The same can’t be said for its defense.

The game against the Chargers will be much more revealing of the Raiders’ new defensive scheme under coordinator Patrick Graham, as there are several more unknowns on that side of the ball. The Raiders should have an element of surprise in their debut under Graham, who’s renowned for throwing different looks and switching up his system on a weekly basis.

“The thing is, you try to do what’s best for the week to beat that team,” Graham said in a news conference this week. “So, whatever that may be – if you have to change the front, if you have to change the coverage. Again, it's not really that complicated. It's just, ‘OK, let's make sure we take care of their strengths and attack their weaknesses.'”

The fascinating part of the Chargers’ matchup is what aspects Graham considers their weaknesses. He listed every offensive position group when talking about their strengths and described them as “all pretty dynamic.”

There’s certainly an element of coach speak in that assessment, but the Chargers might be one team where it’s actually true. They have one of the most well-rounded offenses in the league on paper, leading McDaniels to say they might be the most talented team the Raiders face all season.

So what does Graham want to try to take away most? Does he keep five defensive backs on the field at virtually all times to protect against the Chargers’ highly efficient passing game with third-year quarterback Justin Herbert? And, if so, does he line them up closer to the line to jam up the short-passing game or play them back to not give up big plays.

Or are there more four linebacker looks where Graham can either commit to winning the battle at the line of scrimmage or deceptively dropping the more versatile players back into coverage?

That’s only scratching the surface of possible strategies that Graham could deploy.

“As far as all that, I just know our coaches are going to put us in a position to succeed,” defensive captain and edge rusher Maxx Crosby said to brush aside a question about the Raiders’ advantages in unveiling a new defense.

Graham is likely to shift schematics on a weekly basis, but Week 1 should provide slightly more definitive understanding on personnel — especially with the Raiders going into the game with a blank injury report. The pressure of Crosby and newcomer Chandler Jones is the focal point of the defense, but the rotation behind them is unclear.

Backup edge rushers Tashawn Bower and Malcolm Koonce both had strong preseasons, and getting a sense of their regular-season opportunities is something to watch. As is where former fourth overall pick Clelin Ferrell fits in at the position after missing most of training camp with an injury.

There’s even more competition for playing time on the interior defensive line spots with six tackles currently rostered. Offseason free-agent acquisitions Bilal Nichols (a former Chicago Bear) and Andrew Billings (a former Cincinnati Bengals) are listed as the starters, but holdover Raiders Johnathan Hankins and Kendal Vickers seem likely to get their share of chances.

And the most intriguing spot as far as snap counts on the defense might be at strong safety, where fourth-year player Johnathan Abram is listed as the starter despite veteran Duron Harmon drawing praise all throughout training camp. Harmon was also named one of three defensive captains — alongside Crosby and linebacker Denzel Perryman — on Friday.

That doesn’t guarantee a bigger role on the field, but it’s hard to imagine McDaniels and Graham minimizing a player like Harmon that they prioritized bringing in based on their time together in New England.

“The first game, you’re trying to feel out your team,” Graham said. “There is going to be adjustments made within the game, so you might have an idea what you want to do. If they come out and they do well….they might throw a monkey wrench into your plan.”

Typically when a whole new coaching staff comes in there’s more mystery around the offense, but this year’s Raiders are flipping the standard. They’ve acknowledged as much on occasion, including when McDaniels joked that defensive line drills take place “far away” from the media viewing area.

There’s no more hiding come Sunday. Answers on Graham’s defense are imminent, and even prominent members of the Raiders’ own team are excited to see them disclosed.

“They're thinking about the regular season and there's a purpose to their work,” quarterback Derek Carr said when asked about going against the defense every day in practice. “To me, it's been super competitive. It's been a lot of fun and I'm excited. I guess we'll see when the game starts, but I'm excited to see what they can do."

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