3 Key Insights Every Raiders Fan Should Know for Week 3

Pro Football Focus released an article going over some key matchups in the NFL, and for the Raiders and Commanders game, their biggest takeaway is how each team's defense will react to the other's offense.

"The Raiders’ defense has opened 2025 with a clear identity: stop the run by loading the box. Las Vegas has stacked eight or more defenders on 34% of defensive snaps, the fifth-highest rate in the NFL. The strategy is paying off".

Dominant Defense

Despite their loss to the Los Angeles Chargers and the defense's inability to get off the field with back-breaking penalties and blown coverages, the one bright spot they can take away from that game was their ability to stop the run.

On one drive in the red zone, the Chargers ran the ball three times consecutively, and the Raiders were able to stop them each time. With the Commanders dealing with a backup quarterback, they're going to want to run the ball, and the Raiders are prepared to handle it.

"The Raiders rank fourth in both yards allowed before contact (0.4 per attempt) and yards allowed after contact (2.2 per attempt), making them the only team currently sitting inside the top five in both categories. Under Dan Quinn, the Commanders’ defense has focused on disruption by collapsing the pocket quickly".

Not only has Daniels been ruled out for their matchup, but the Commanders will also be without Austin Ekeler, who has experience running against the Raiders in his days as a Charger. The defense will have to continue to make the ground game difficult if they want to pull off this upset on the road.

"Through two weeks, Washington owns a 27% quick-pressure rate (within 2.5 seconds), the seventh-best mark in the league. They’ve also been effective at scheming free rushers, with an unblocked pressure rate of 16%, ranking third in the NFL. That ability to generate pressure without relying solely on one-on-one wins gives Washington a path to slowing down the Raiders’ passing attack".

This will be a tough matchup for the Raiders' offense, which is already coming off a disastrous game. Their offensive line looks putrid, and if the Commanders can generate pressure without sending an extra man, Smith's susceptibility to throwing interceptions may rear its head once again and derail this game for the Raiders.

What Can They Do?

The biggest problem with the Raiders' offense thus far has been their inability to involve their top pick, Ashton Jeanty, consistently in their offensive game plan. He only had 11 carries against the Chargers; meanwhile, Smith threw the ball more than 40 times.

The Commanders may not be able to run the ball against the Raiders' defense, but that doesn't mean the Raiders can't run the ball against the Commanders. The Commanders do boast an impressive defensive line, and like I mentioned, it's not like there are any all-pros on the Raiders' offensive line.

Even with that, I still believe Jeanty should get at least 15 carries in this game. It's been shown time and time again that an offense cannot succeed if it's entirely dependent on Smith's arm talent, and the Raiders have so much talent that it'd be a waste to leave it all in Smith's hands.

This can be a statement game for Jeanty if the Raiders want it to be, but if they go out against the Commanders with a similar game plan as they have been in weeks one and two, the ingredients are there for this to end up in disaster for the Raiders.