The Las Vegas Raiders are 3-4 and have lost four in a row. Sunday they play the 2-5 New York Jets at MetLife Stadium, and host Scott Gulbransen says the game comes down to the defense. On this week's radio show from 101.5 KDWN, Scott puts numbers on it. In the four losses, Rob Leonard's defense gave up 143 points: 30 to Kansas City, 45 to New England, 33 to Buffalo and 35 to the Rams. That ties a franchise record for points allowed over a stretch like that, and over those four weeks the Raiders are last in the NFL in both points per drive and yards per play. Scott goes through how Kansas City showed everyone how to attack the coverage, the 14 missed tackles against the Rams, what the Jets offense brings with Geno Smith and Garrett Wilson, and what Rob Leonard has to change. Maxx Crosby has 31 pressures and two sacks because teams double him or chip him on a third of his snaps, so somebody else has to win a one-on-one. The injury report comes first. Brock Bowers went full on Thursday after a limited Wednesday with a calf issue. Ashton Jeanty was clean for only the third time this season. Jackson Powers-Johnson missed Thursday's practice with a back injury. For the Jets, edge rusher David Bailey has a groin injury and offensive lineman Max Mitchell is in the concussion protocol. Then the Fernando Mendoza question. Klint Kubiak says Kirk Cousins is the starter and there is no controversy. Scott agrees Cousins plays Sunday. He also explains why he moved his Mendoza timetable up, what a quarterback who can run would do for a run game ranked 31st, and why he wants Mendoza on the field by the time the Raiders get to San Francisco. He gives Cousins his due, including a league-leading 16 touchdown passes, and says the efficiency numbers look less shiny than the stat line. Scott also runs through what Rich Gannon, Dan Graziano and Albert Breer have said this week. Five listeners call in: Raider Eddie in Denver on Ashton Jeanty, Raider Sky in New Jersey with an adapt-or-perish message for the coaching staff, Dave Casper the Ghost in upstate New York on trading Crosby, Lupe from the Phoenix Magnets who wants Cousins to keep the job, and Raider Rob in San Diego on Mendoza, the defense and Tyler Linderbaum. BE PART OF THE SHOW Call: 702-900-8105 Email: mail@silverandblacktoday.com X: @LVGully | @SNBToday Live postgame show on YouTube after the game with Murph from Raiders Fan Radio. Silver and Black Today is part of Bleav. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and leave a rating and review. Chapters 00:00 Show open 00:41 Welcome and Halloween 01:10 Subscribe, rate and join the postgame show 01:52 Raiders at Jets: why the defense decides it 02:57 Coming up: Mendoza and listener calls 03:37 Raiders injury report: Bowers, Jeanty, Powers-Johnson 04:52 Jets injuries: David Bailey, Max Mitchell, Breece Hall 05:47 The offense in the four losses 06:35 The defense has allowed 143 points in four games 07:37 The run game ranks 31st 08:19 Jets run defense and the bulletin board comment 09:15 The Raiders defense by the numbers 09:59 The Rams game: 28-6 at the half, 199 rushing yards 10:29 The pass defense 11:01 Three weeks ago this was a good defense 11:37 The league figured out the scheme 12:24 Where is the counterpunch? 12:58 Run defense and missed tackles 13:51 Big personnel and base defense 14:33 Who the Jets are: Geno Smith and Garrett Wilson 15:26 The Garrett Wilson matchup 16:15 Maxx Crosby and the pass rush 17:11 How to fix it: tackle, simplify, adjust 18:50 Back from the break 19:12 Fernando Mendoza: moving the timetable up 20:15 The reaction: Kubiak, Gannon, Graziano and Breer 22:02 Giving Kirk Cousins his due 22:49 The efficiency numbers 23:23 What Mendoza would add: his legs 24:30 What a running quarterback does for the run game 25:23 Kubiak’s system and Mendoza’s fit 25:40 Eight career passes 25:55 Why Scott wouldn’t start Mendoza Sunday 26:21 Kubiak’s point of view 26:57 Cousins as a bridge, and the case against waiting 27:33 San Francisco and what’s ahead 28:44 Scott’s answer: Cousins Sunday, Mendoza by San Francisco 29:32 Call-in line 29:53 Back from the break 31:16 Raider Eddie, Denver: Ashton Jeanty 32:52 Scott on Jeanty 34:41 Raider Sky, New Jersey: adapt or perish 38:22 Dave Casper the Ghost, upstate New York: trade Crosby? 41:17 Scott on the Crosby trade talk 41:42 Lupe, Phoenix Magnets: stay with Cousins 43:13 Raider Rob, San Diego: Mendoza, the defense and Linderbaum 46:18 Scott responds 49:03 Sign-off and next week Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
