The Las Vegas Raiders defeated the Los Angeles Rams 34-17 for their second straight preseason victory.
The Raiders were impressive again on both sides of the ball, but what has been noticeable throughout these first two games is how the defense has been flying to the football, putting helmets on ball carriers, and forcing turnovers.
Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham and the Raiders know the key to a return to the postseason in 2023 is a defensive turnaround. With another year under Graham, Raiders defenders are starting to look more comfortable within the system and have been playing great football so far on that end.
What is especially encouraging has been the flashes of good play from some of the Raiders’ young defensive players. There is a lot of youth on the defensive side of the ball for the Silver and Black, and a few of them continued to play well on Saturday.
One of those players is linebacker Drake Thomas. Thomas was not selected in the 2023 NFL Draft and signed with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent. Against the Rams, Thomas made 12 total tackles – which led the team – with a tackle for loss.
Thomas’ tenacity and ability to pursue the football may earn him a spot on the 53-man roster as a depth piece at linebacker, which would make that unit stronger overall.
Another player who has been impressive on defense is safety Isaiah Pola-Mao. Pola-Mao made the highlight play of the night, intercepting a Stetson Bennett pass and returning it 50 yards for a touchdown.
Pola-Mao is one of a few young players in the Raiders’ safety room, and if he continues this level of play, could be in line for a bigger role in the regular season.
The Raiders’ second leading tackler on the evening was rookie linebacker Amari Burney, who built off his strong performance from last week with a five-tackle performance.
With the Raiders looking for more consistent contributors on defense, some young players are providing them with more choices. With a unit that has performed well throughout the first two games of the preseason, contributions from their youth will be beneficial.
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