The Las Vegas Raiders defense has been much maligned over the last few seasons. They enter the 2023-24 season looking to change the narrative.
The defense boasts new additions and added youth. After a productive preseason, the Raiders' defense is starting to get into a groove.
"I feel like it's been going really well," safety Marcus Epps said. "l feel like every day we're growing, we're learning each other more and more. So, we've just got to keep that up, going through finishing out the week and then going into game week next week."
A noticeable shift has begun within the Raiders ' facility, with just over a week left before the season kicks off.
"I feel like you kind of start to feel it a little bit as you get closer to the season, but I think it's important that," Epps said.
"This week especially, we kind of just stay in-tune to the things that we need to work on and grow at as a team and finish this week out strong before we really start getting into the season."
"I like the guys that we have on our team. I like the group we have in the secondary. Got a lot of trust in those guys, and I see what we've been bringing to the table every day in terms of work ethic and coming to work. I feel like we've just got to keep at it and keep growing and getting better every day."
The work ethic Epps mentioned has been so contagious it has spread through all three levels of the defense. Linebacker Luke Masterson likes what he's seen so far from his teammates on the defensive side of the ball.
"I just love the energy. I think every day people come to work," Masterson said. "They're ready to work every single day. That transitions into game day, the energy is great."
"Everybody wants to make plays for each other, we want to play for each other, play for the coaches. The energy is great, and it's really exciting."
Improving a team's work ethic is one of the first steps in changing an organization's culture. If the Raiders' defense can continue to help change the culture for the better, the organization could be closer to returning to prominence than most people realize.
The Silver and Black open the regular season at the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Sept. 10, at 4:25 p.m. EDT/1:25 p.m. PDT.
Please tell us your thoughts when you like our Facebook Page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.
More must-reads: