The Las Vegas Raiders closed out their 2023-24 season with a home victory over their AFC West rivals, the Denver Broncos, 27-14.
It was another solid defensive performance as the Raiders held the Broncos to just 48 rushing yards and sacked quarterback Jarrett Stidham five times.
One of those sacks came from defensive tackle Adam Butler, who came on strong in the last few weeks of the season. He also finished the day with two tackles, a tackle for loss, and a pass defended.
His sack came in the third quarter on a third down play that never developed for the Broncos. Butler won the race to Stidham, beating defensive ends Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce.
The Raiders signed Butler to a one-year, $1.5 million contract in March, and he has proven to be a valuable asset to the Raiders’ defensive turnaround. Butler finished the 2023 season with 28 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, nine quarterback hits, and five sacks, one shy of his career-high.
Las Vegas’ defense improved tremendously under Interim Coach Antonio Pierce when he took over midseason. Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham also did a commendable job turning around the defense in his second year.
Butler has been a force in the middle of the defensive line this season, which is something the Raiders were looking to improve last offseason. According to Pro Football Focus, Butler created 26 total pressures in 496 defensive snaps.
The Raiders were looking to find Crosby help rushing the passer, which has come in several forms this season, including Butler. He helped the Raiders increase their sack total from 27 in 2022 to 46 this season.
A lot of what Butler did this season went beyond the stat sheet, eating up space on the interior and allowing other rushers to have open lanes to the quarterback.
Butler finished the season on a hot streak, recording a sack in each of the last three games. Even though the Raiders will not be playing postseason football, Butler was a large part of why they stayed competitive down the stretch.
It is now the offseason for the Raiders, who must answer several questions about their future. One of those questions is whether or not they will re-sign the 29-year-old Butler, who will be a free agent. He has given himself a great chance to return to Las Vegas with his final few performances of the 2023-24 season.
Ensure you follow on X (Twitter) @HondoCarpenter and IG @HondoSr, and never miss another breaking news story again. Sign up RIGHT HERE for our 100% FREE newsletter that comes thrice a week and delivers all our best stories.
More must-reads: