One of the reasons why the Raiders are sitting at 0-2 after two games is due to their lack of pass rush. They just couldn’t slow down Kyler Murray at all in the fourth quarter as he led the Cardinals to two touchdown drives while converting on both of the two-point conversions.
Maxx Crosby had a strong game, totaling five pressures and a sack. But Chandler Jones struggled for the second game in a row. And now it’s becoming a disturbing trend
Jones has now played 138 snaps for the Raiders, but he’s totaled just four pressures, one hurry and no sacks, according to Pro Football Focus. That can’t happen if the Raiders want to have any chance on defense.
In a recent article by ESPN, they named a change that every team needs to make coming out of Week 2. For the Raiders, it was getting more from their pass rush:
“The Raiders’ out-of-alignment pass rush thus far needs a Silver and Black chiropractor. Stat! Indeed, affecting the quarterback by applying pressure and hitting him pays certain dividends down the line, but the fact that Las Vegas has only one sack through two games is cause for trepidation.
Especially given the investments the new regime made in signing 32-year-old Chandler Jones to a three-year, $52.5 million free agent deal with $34 million guaranteed this spring to bookend him with Maxx Crosby, who signed a four-year, $99 million extension.”
Jones missed most of training camp and all of the preseason with an undisclosed injury, so it’s possible that he is still working himself back into shape. But in the meantime, his poor play is causing them to lose games.
The Raiders paid a hefty price for Jones this offseason and he hasn’t lived up to his contract yet. But Week 3 should be a good spot for him as the Raiders will face the Titans without Taylor Lewan. If he struggles in that game, it’s officially time to be worried about Jones and his fit with the Raiders.