Silver Minings: Better start needed on defense

Can’t keep starting in a hole

If the fate of the Las Vegas Raiders is truly going to change in 2025 under the new leadership of Pete Carroll, a lot of bad traits will need to be corrected.

Near the top of the list of areas that need instant change is the way the defense begins games. It was a problem last seoans and holdover defensive coordinator Patrick Graham needs to help Carroll fix the issue.

A recent tweet by NFL analyst Warren Sharp shows the Raiders allowed 84 points in the first quarter of games in the 2024 season. It was the eighth highest rate in the league. Here is the full list:

Creating holes early in games is rough on a team. So, correcting this area is paramount for Carroll and Graham this season.

In other Raiders news:

• Running back pre: The Raiders’ website previews the team’s running backs going into this season.
• Breakout players: PFF looks at breakout candidates for each AFC West team.
• Ageless: The Athletic features, the Raiders’ ageless wonder of a new coach.