Oakland Raiders Rumors: Defensive Staff Overhaul Must Go Through for Team to Win

As bad as Carson Palmer was at times (13 interceptions in nine games), he's not the reason that the Raiders are watching the playoffs. The same is true about injuries to Darren McFadden and other offensive stars. No, the reason the Raiders missed the playoffs is that when push came to shove, their defense couldn't stop anyone. Heads need to roll for that. 

Steve Corkan of the Contra Costa Times detailed an exchange, where it was reported and subsequently denied that every member of the Raiders' coaching staff will be fired. If that denial ends up being true, then Jackson needs to be fired, because it shows that he just wasn't paying attention. 

I know that's not the case. The defensive staff will look much different next year. 

Just how bad was the Raiders' defense in 2011? Really bad. Take a look at the numbers. 

Stats	Rank
251.4 Passing Yards Per Game	27th
136.1 Rushing Yards Per Game	27th
27.1 Points Per Game	29th

That is not a bend-but-don't-break style. That is an awful defense that could not be counted on through the season. Look at some of their losses.

Week 2, at Buffalo

The Raiders held a 21-3 lead at halftime to the Bills. After surrendering that lead, the Raiders came back and led 35-31 late in the fourth quarter. The Bills won 38-35.

Week 9, vs. Denver

The Raiders held a 24-14 lead late in the third quarter. The Broncos found the end zone three more times, winning the game 38-24.

Week 13, at Miami

The Dolphins' offense scored 34 points in the first three quarters, making Oakland's 14-point fourth quarter completely useless.

Week 14, at Green Bay

Admittedly, they were going up against a great offense, but the Raiders were never even remotely competitive in this one. The Packers led 31-0 at halftime. The 46-16 final could have actually been worse. 

Week 15, vs. Detroit

The Raiders scored with just under eight minutes remaining in the final quarter to take a 27-14 lead. The Lions stormed back, scoring two touchdowns to win 28-27.

Week 17, vs. San Diego

A nice winning streak against the Chargers came to an end. As a result, their season did as well. The Raiders allowed Philip Rivers to throw for more than 300 yards and three scores. Two different receivers went for over 100 yards in the 38-26 loss. 

As mistake prone as the offense was at times, it remained a consistent unit. They were ninth in the NFL in yards per game (11th in passing, seventh in rushing) and 16th in the league in scoring. That's not great, but it's far from a liability. 

But that defense needs to be overhauled. There is no excuse for that kind of ineptitude week in and week out. And what's alarming is that it got progressively worse. Only one of the games listed was in the first half of the season. Four of the other five came in the Raiders' final five games. That can't happen.

Whether the initial report is accurate now or not, it needs to be. You can't be that bad and get worse as the season goes on. When it happens, the people overseeing the defense need to go. Maybe a decision has been made, maybe it hasn't. But the Oakland defense needs a new look in 2012. That will come with a new attitude, which only comes from new men leading the show. Until that happens, the team will not get any better.

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