The Las Vegas Raiders are wrapping up their bye week, which gave them a chance to get healthy and prepare for the final five games of the season.
The Raiders have seen improvements on defense this season, which has allowed them to remain competitive in almost all of their games. Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham has done an excellent job with his unit.
While the Raiders do not have many household names on defense outside of Maxx Crosby, they play hard-nosed, competitive football that has stifled even some of the best offenses in the league.
The Raiders added several impactful defensive free agents, but possibly none more so than linebacker Robert Spillane. He signed a two-year, $7 million contract with the Silver and Black in March, and that contract is looking like a massive bargain right now.
Spillane is far exceeding expectations for the Raiders, shattering career-high statistics in 2023. He is having comfortably the best season of his career, posting 105 total tackles, four tackles for loss, two and a half sacks, and three interceptions.
Spillane and Divine Deablo have made an excellent duo at linebacker for the Raiders, complementing each other’s skill set in different ways. Deablo is a quicker, more athletic player who excels more in coverage, and Spillane is a great run stopper.
Both Spillane and Deablo are great communicators who can organize the defense before the snap as well. Linebacker has been a strength for the Raiders this season because of these two.
Spillane has embodied what it means to be a Raider: he is an underdog, has a fiery competitive nature, and makes big time winning plays. He was an undrafted free agent out of college in 2018 and did not enter the league with much pedigree. Spillane had to work to make an NFL roster, and how he has been playing high-level football for the Raiders.
If the Raiders want to make a push for the postseason down the home stretch, they will need to lean on their defense, as they have done all season. Spillane plays a major role in that, as a bargain free agent signing has turned into one of the best linebacker performances of the season.
The Silver and Black will return home to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas to take on the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, December 10, at 4:05 p.m. EST/1:05 p.m. PST.
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