Highlighting Oakland Raiders' 3 Biggest Weaknesses and How to Fix Them

The Oakland Raiders are far better than they were a year ago, starting the 2015 season at 2-3. 

But the team still has a handful of glaring weaknesses that will need to be fixed if it wants to contend for a playoff spot going forward. 

With that, let's get right into it.

1. Pass rush

The Raiders pass rush hasn't exactly been elite this season despite the presence of Khalil Mack and Aldon Smith. Mack has tallied three sacks on the season while Smith has 1.5.

Oakland has 10 sacks on the season, which is tied for 21st in the league. It's not an awful number, but it isn't what fans and coaches were expecting after the team improved its front seven in the offseason. 

With a Week 7 matchup against a San Diego Chargers team that has allowed 17 sacks on the season, it'll be imperative for the Raiders to successfully attack quarterback Philip Rivers. 

How to fix it

Get creative with linebacker blitzes. In a Week 1 blowout loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, the Raiders didn't blitz a single time. Since then, head coach Jack Del Rio and defensive coordinator Ken Norton have had success with sending linebackers at opposing quarterbacks. 

Malcolm Smith is an essential part of this team's blitzing schemes and overall defense. Take a look at how quickly Smith blows by the Denver Broncos' right guard to bring down Peyton Manning in this video:

If that's not enough evidence for you, take a look at Smith's stats through five games:

With a Raiders secondary that has yet to hold an opposing quarterback to less than 254 yards passing in a game this season, it's imperative the front seven give the defensive backs as much help as possible. 

Speaking of the team's next issue to analyze...

2. Pass defense

Many members of the Raider Nation knew the team's secondary would be a problem in 2015, and the unit hasn't proved them wrong. 

Take a look at the passing yards the Raiders defense has allowed in each game this season:

Graphic created using Piktochart by the author. Stats taken from Pro-Football-Reference.com.

Oakland is surrendering an average of 299.2 passing yards per game, second worst in the NFL. 

To the unit's credit, it has forced five interceptions. Of course, four of those have been snagged by the legendary Charles Woodson. 

The man is a beast, but he can't hold the back end of this defense down all on his own.

How to fix it

There are two ways for the Raiders to try and get opposing pass-yardage totals under control going forward.

Again, getting to the quarterback solves much of this problem. Keep the blitzes coming from both linebackers and defensive backs in an effort to not only pressure but confuse opposing passers. 

Risky? Always, but letting wide receivers run free while the quarterback sits in a cozy pocket is even riskier.

As the previous infographic indicates, Oakland has allowed less yardage each week since playing the Baltimore Ravens in Week 2. The pressure is getting better, and the yardage totals are decreasing. In the NFL, this is simple math.

Secondly, the Raiders can't fall into the "situation defense" trap late in games. 

In a Week 4 loss to the Chicago Bears, Jay Cutler chipped away at Oakland's defense on a game-winning drive. He completed passes of seven, six, 12 and nine yards en route to setting up a field goal to end the game. 

Playing soft at the end of games isn't good Raider football. Oakland has been successful early in games with aggressive play-calling on defense and burned toward the end with softer coverage. 

Being consistently aggressive on defense would be worth the risk for this Raiders team going forward. 

3. Rushing offense

"

@RAIDERS what is going on with the running game.

— silvernblack89 (@AJGallez) October 15, 2015"

Good question.

There's a clear lack of consistency with Oakland's rushing attack, and it truly was the difference in the game against the Bears. Starter Latavius Murray was responsible for two turnovers, which killed good-looking drives that might have ended in the Raiders increasing their lead.

But that was then, and this is now. 

Murray recently told the Associated Press that he knows the Raiders' struggles on the ground begin with him, as he's the team's workhorse running back.

"I'll put it on me," Murray said on Oct. 13. "It starts with me being the best runner I could be and trusting those guys up front."

How to fix it

Use all the talent available at the running back position. As you can see in the infographic below, the difference in carries between Raiders running backs is significant:

Graphic created by the author using Piktochart. Stats used are taken from Pro-Football-Reference.com.

Yes, Murray is the team's clear No. 1 running back, but the team needs to balance his workload by giving Marcel Reece and Roy Helu more carries. 

Both Reece and Helu are talented runners. It's time to give them more chances to help this team establish a consistent running game. 

The Raiders have only scored two touchdowns on the ground this season, tied for 23rd in the NFL.

Quarterback Derek Carr has done well this season, especially considering the Raiders throw on about 64 percent of plays. Giving him a consistent running game makes Oakland's offense a complete threat going forward.

Follow Ethan on Twitter @ebai_today for coverage and analysis on the Raiders and the entire NFL. Infographics created by the author using Piktochart. All statistics used for infographics taken from Pro-Football-Reference.com.