Raiders work overtime to improve red-zone offense, defense
COSTA MESA, Calif. — Raiders coach Antonio Pierce sent a pointed message to his players in the first week of training camp: It’s time to clean up their mess in the red zone.
That was made obvious Thursday and Friday when Pierce continually pitted the first-team offense against the first-team defense inside the 20-yard line. The spirited sessions could be seen, felt and even heard as players on both sides of the ball got after it physically and verbally.
Both groups had their moments, with quarterbacks Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew throwing multiple touchdown passes and the defense coming up with four interceptions and a few would-be sacks.
The balanced outcomes provided optimism for a club that languished offensively and defensively in that part of the field last season. The defense surrendered touchdowns 62.5 percent of the time when opposing offenses ventured inside their 20, which ranked 27th in the NFL. Offensively, the Raiders ranked 24th by converting 48.9 percent of their visits to the red zone into touchdowns.
For perspective, 10 of the top 16 red-zone offenses made the playoffs and nine of the top red-zone defenses reached the postseason.
The Raiders won eight games last season. They easily could have won nine or 10 had they been slightly better in the red zone.
Improvement is a must
To have any legitimate chance of reaching the playoffs, the Raiders must get their offense or defense — preferably both — into the top 16 in that category.
Pierce is wasting no time making sure his players understand that. It’s been the theme of camp.
“If we can stop teams from scoring and can score points in the red zone, we’ll be more efficient winning games” he said. “I want to put a point of emphasis on it.”
The defense got the best of the offense in the past two days. But that’s to be expected given how that group is going into the third season under defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and returns nine starters from a unit that surrendered the ninth-fewest points in the league.
Not that Graham is taking anything for granted. He has hammered home the importance of each player raising his level of play when the ball is inside the 20.
“That’s one thing that P.G. has been stressing to us is that we gotta improve our red zone defense this year,” safety Marcus Epps said. “He’s put a lot of attention and energy into it, and we’ve been doing the same. We understand that’s an area we need to improve, so it’s something that we’ve made a point of emphasis.”
That attention to detail showed this week by how the defensive line created consistent pass-rush pressure and how Epps and fellow safeties Tre’von Moehrig and Isaiah Pola-Mao came up with interceptions. The picks by Epps and Pola-Mao would have been returned for touchdowns.
“Turnovers win games,” linebacker Robert Spillane said. “You get the ball back to the offense, keep points off the board. And that’s what we’re trying to do as a defense.”
Offense must improve
It’s equally important for the offense to improve in the red zone. With so many weapons, there isn’t any excuse for it to be as bad as it was last season.
The Raiders are hoping the new scheme under offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and improved quarterback play from O’Connell or Minshew lead to more success.
While the offense struggled against the defense inside the 20, O’Connell and Minshew threw touchdown passes, and O’Connell rushed for two TDs on draw plays Friday.
That’s cause for optimism, but it must translate into the season for the Raiders to challenge for a playoff berth.
“That’s the toughest part of the field. Less space, less time,” wide receiver Jakobi Meyers. “I feel like if we can capitalize in the red zone, we’ll be a much better team.”
Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.
