Three Important Raiders on Defense vs. Chargers

The Las Vegas Raiders are set to take on the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., for an AFC West showdown.

The Raiders are looking to keep pace this season and win their second game to bring their record to 2-2. The Chargers are also looking to avoid falling to 1-3, so both teams will be playing with a sense of urgency.

The Raiders must continue to play well on defense in order to give their offense more chances to win games. Against a talented Chargers offense, it is crucial to turn in a good defensive performance.

For that to happen, a few players need to step up and be difference makers on the field. Let’s take a closer look at three Raiders on the defensive side of the ball who have the opportunity to do that.

Linebacker Divine Deablo - Beyond Maxx Crosby, Deablo has been arguably the Raiders’ best defensive player.

Deablo has posted 27 total tackles, two tackles for loss, one pass defended and one sack. According to Pro Football Focus, he has not missed a tackle this season.

The Raiders will need Deablo to continue to excel in coverage and limit what Justin Herbert can do over the middle of the field and be a force in stopping the Chargers’ run game that will likely be without Austin Ekeler. The Raiders’ defense will be in a better position to succeed if Deablo is at his best.

Safety Tre’von Moehrig - Herbert likes to throw the deep ball, so Moehrig must be ready.

The Chargers are 7th in the NFL in passing attempts this season, and Moehrig will need to be around the football and make plays often. The Chargers will look to beat the Raiders through the air, so Moehrig will have to be sharp.

Defensive Lineman Bilal Nichols - The Raiders will need to generate pressure on the interior if they want to beat the Chargers, and that starts with Nichols in the middle.

Nichols has an overall PFF grade of 45.2, which is less than ideal for one of the Raiders’ top interior defensive linemen. The Chargers have two good guards in Jamaree Salyer and Zion Johnson, so Nichols will need to win his match-ups on the interior in order to disrupt the Chargers’ offensive rhythm.

Good defensive play starts in the trenches, so the veteran defensive lineman Nichols must do his part ensure that the Raiders have a chance to win the game.

The Silver and Black return to the road this week in Inglewood, Calif., to play the Los Angeles Chargers (1-2) on Sunday, Oct. 1, at 4:05 p.m. EDT/1:05 p.m. PDT.

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