Chiefs vs. Raiders: Antonio Brown’s lingering impact and 9 other questions
Is Clelin Ferrell a pass rusher to be feared?
The Raiders made the biggest move of last offseason when they decided to trade Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears for two first round picks and a third round pick as well as a future second round and conditional fifth round pick. Mack went on to become the cornerstone of a fantastic Bears defense, which finished third overall, and the Raiders defense went on to be terrible, finishing 25th overall.
What’s probably the worst statistic to take away from all of this, is that Khalil Mack had 12.5 sacks last season. As an entire team, the Raiders only barely broke double digits themselves with 13. That’s one of the lowest sack totals in recent memory for an entire season, and it’s easy to see that the void left by Mack was fairly substantial. Something drastic had to be done.
With their first pick, and number four overall, in the 2019 NFL Draft the Raiders selected edge rusher Clelin Ferrell out of Clemson. Most considered this pick to be a reach, considering there were other edge rushers on the board who seemingly possessed more talent. One of these was Josh Allen, who Chiefs fans just saw last Sunday. Most considered Allen to be better, but Ferrell was their guy and they went with him.
Ferrell has a lot to live up to, and for the sake of the Raiders coaching staff, he needs to live up to it rather quickly. Mack registered double-digit sacks every year but his first, and this was largely what carried the Raiders defense. No one is expecting Ferrell to be Mack, but to justify his draft spot, he’ll need to produce double-digit sacks and tackles for loss most years.
The Chiefs offensive line didn’t give up a sack on Sunday, but they did give up several hits on Patrick Mahomes. Should the Chiefs, and the AFC West for that matter be worried about Clelin Ferrell or was he the reach he was made out to be?
Can the Raiders overcome injuries in the secondary?
Aside from Ferrell, where are the other playmakers on this defense? In 2018, the Raiders were middle of the league in interceptions with 14 and last in the league in fumbles recovered with 3. With how poor their offense performed, they ended the season with 24 turnovers and 17 turnovers forced. Twelve teams had a negative turnover differential in 2018, and only two of them made the playoffs. It’s not a recipe for success.
That’s probably why the Raiders spent six of their nine picks in the 2019 NFL Draft on the defensive side. There’s a desperate need for an influx of talent. With that, there are a number of big-time college defenders looking to make a name for themselves this season.
Trayvon Mullen is a fast and lengthy cornerback and a college teammate of Clellin Ferrell. Based off the latest Raiders depth chart, he looks to be the third cornerback on the field. However, while he might not start in his team’s base defensive package, it’s likely he’ll see plenty of snaps early. Given most teams spend the majority of snaps in sub-packages, often with additional defensive backs, Mullen is likely to see plenty of time against the Chiefs.
Can Mullen keep up with the speed the Chiefs have, even at their third and fourth receiver? It will definitely be baptism by fire for this rookie.
Unfortunately, one of their main playmaking hopefuls looks to miss the season due to a torn rotator cuff. Johnathan Abram is a fast and physical free safety who’s just as comfortable covering tight ends as he is laying the wood in the run game. Scouts often referred to him as an alpha on the football field, which he displayed regularly on HBO’s Hard Knocks.
Lastly, Gareon Conley is coming off an injury in the game against Denver. He’s expected to play, but his overall preparedness could be in question. With one of their starting corners at less than 100 percent and their starting free safety out for the season, is there any hope for the Raiders defense against the beautiful mind of Andy Reid and his brainchild Patrick Mahomes? I wouldn’t put money on it.