The Las Vegas Raiders have much documented struggles on defense. They are 32nd in points allowed with six straight games giving up 30 points or more.
It is a problem that has the Raiders looking for fixes. They have tried different players and personnel groupings to no avail. Klint Kubiak is sticking by his defensive coordinator Rob Leonard. Even with the issues he is having as a rookie defensive play caller he doesn’t have any rush to let him go.
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Leonard thinks one of the issues with the defenses can be easily fixed. The Raiders rank 29th in defensive time of possession. He sees it as a big reason for the struggles on defense.
“When you’re stacking inconsistent plays it’s always multiple things. But I’d say fatigue makes cowards of us all. When you’re on the field a long time mistakes tend to happen more often. I’m just going to put it that way.”
Leonard’s quote is interesting, especially his belief that players have to get off the field. While it is true that the Raiders are on the field for a long time, first-possession touchdowns are happening consistently. They are tied for 29th in first-quarter points at 6.3 per game.
If the play continues, Kubiak’s patience might run out. The heat is on for the defense to improve.
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