Spilling his guts: Robert Spillane will stop at nothing to help fix Raiders’ defense

By Case Keefer (contact)

Thursday, Aug. 17, 2023 | 2 a.m.

Josh Jacobs couldn’t shake Robert Spillane.

The Raiders’ running back was virtually unstoppable all of last season as he rolled to the NFL’s rushing title — expect when he played a Steelers’ defense featuring a recently promoted Spillane as a starting middle linebacker. Jacobs had arguably his least efficient game of the year, gaining 44 yards on 18 carries, with Spillane racking up a season-high 12 tackles and posting a career-high single-game rush-defense grade by Pro Football Focus.   

In the locker room after the Steelers’ 13-10 victory on Christmas Eve, Jacobs expressed frustration and concluded that he didn’t know how to change what he described as four years of disappointment with the Raiders. Coach Josh McDaniels had an idea, as it was a few days later when he benched nine-year starting quarterback Derek Carr, who subsequently left the team as part of a mutual agreement.

Spillane, therefore, had a hand in ushering in the end of an era for the Raiders’ offense. Now, the 27-year-old hopes to spark a new age for the Raiders’ defense after coming to the organization on a two-year, $7 million contract in free agency this offseason.  

“We’re looked at as a weak point, one of the weakest defenses in the league, and we don’t see ourselves as that,” Spillane said after a practice last week. “So, it's our opportunity to go out there and compete every day, make each other better and just be a cohesive unit.”

Most players dance around and don’t speak on the Raiders’ recent reputation for defensive incompetence, but Spillane won’t hide from it. The former undrafted free agent out of Western Michigan welcomes the challenge of turning around the unit, which is no surprise to those who know him.

Spillane is a soft-spoken-but-stern, no-nonsense guy. His “mentality,” as he repeatedly calls it, is one reason why there’s little concern he’ll wind up among the annals of athletes who underwhelm with a new team after they were acquired following a big performance against it.

“Teammates really respect him,” Raiders coach Josh McDaniels said of Spillane. “He’s a really hard worker, adamant about trying to do things the right way. I think he’s made a huge impression on our team so far.”

Forcing more turnovers after finishing last in the league with only 13 last season has been a focus of training camp for everyone on the Raiders’ defense, but Spillane might be preaching it the most.

“When you make those splash turnover plays, those really affect the outcome of games,” Spillane said. “So it’s, 'How can I get my hand on a ball? How can I punch this ball out? How can I get in the passing window and maybe make that quarterback throw a few feet higher in the air, so I give my secondary time to make a play on the ball?' Good defenses get (pass break-ups), make tackles. Great defenses turn the ball over and score a touchdown, so that's what we're looking to do."

Spillane has been trying to jar balls out of offensive players’ hands constantly — especially in a pair of joint practices against the San Francisco 49ers last week. And while he didn’t ultimately force any fumbles in those two sessions, he got a pair of takeaways in perhaps a more surprising fashion with interceptions.

Spillane isn’t as known for his ability in the passing game — Steelers fans routinely criticized his coverage ability last season — but he’s looked comfortable in the area since joining the Raiders. He was a consistent nuisance for the 49ers, even beyond the interceptions.

“Spillane is a freaking dog,” Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby said after one of the practices. “He’s going crazy.”

Spillane credited Crosby for being part of the reason he wound up in Las Vegas. The Raiders are wisely trying to build their defense around the perennial Pro Bowler, and being familiar with Spillane from his days playing against him in college at rival Eastern Michigan, Crosby gave his endorsement of the linebacker.

Spillane has a relatively big void to fill after the Raiders let Denzel Perryman, the starter at middle linebacker the last two years, leave and sign with the Houston Texans in free agency. Perryman thrived when he was healthy in Las Vegas, reaching the Pro Bowl after the 2021-2022 season and getting voted a team captain last year.

But McDaniels and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham wanted to make major defensive changes after the unit unperformed in their first year with the Raiders. Bringing on Spillane was a way to get younger in the middle of the defense while adding a high-upside player.

Spillane said he wasn’t promised anything upon coming to Las Vegas, but it’s clear he’s already locked in a starting role. Like the vast majority of other projected starters, he didn’t play in Sunday’s preseason opener against the 49ers.

The Raiders are trying to keep him healthy and manage his workload before the season even though Spillane said, if it were up to him, he’d play at every opportunity. He loves football too much to ask to sit out.   

“It doesn’t happen by accident, I always say,” Spillane said. “You don't accidentally become an NFL linebacker, undrafted player going on year six…It’s that intentional mindset. It's something that you think about during practice, after practice. When you're at home, it’s first thing when you wake up in the morning. You kind of live that life, you're consumed by it, and that's something that brings you to the next level."

The Raiders are giving Spillane a chance to reach the next level of his career. He spent the vast majority of his time with the Steelers as a backup, only getting promoted to the first string because of injuries or at the end of last season when his play merited more snaps.  

Pittsburgh was collectively one of the best defenses in the league over the last four years since Spillane began playing (he spent his entire rookie season on the practice squad). He said he saw similarities in Las Vegas’ attitude this year, and doesn’t see any reason why it can’t wind up in the same category.  

“We’ve got guys who don’t want to be known as the 30^th defense in the league,” Spillane said. “We want to be up there with the best.”