How Safety Nate Allen Improves Oakland Raiders Secondary

For the first time this season, we’ll see the Oakland Raiders secondary as a whole for an entire game with the return of safety Nate Allen.

The Raiders field the most generous secondary in the league, allowing an average 314.6 yards per game, and that’s with defensive back T.J. Carrie in the lineup for seven games. However, the statistics don't reflect the full potential of Oakland's pass defense.

According to Pro Football Focus, Allen played 11 snaps in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals before linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong made a tackle and rolled into his leg:

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Initially, signing the sixth-year safety didn’t project as a big-time acquisition. In fact, many felt the Raiders overpaid him.

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That Nate Allen contract...... 28th ranked safety according to @PFF, but at that pricetag they should have overpaid for better.

— Just Blog Baby (@JustBlogBaby) March 13, 2015"

Oh, how the narrative has changed with context. News on his imminent return sparked widespread praise and optimism for his “ball-hawking” skills.

You hear the term used loosely in some cases, but what's a ball hawk? What skill set does a ball hawk possess? What does that type of player look like on film? 

Nate Allen: The Ball Hawk

When hearing the description ball hawk, former NFL safety Ed Reed and his 64 career interceptions in 13 seasons, comes to mind.

We’re not going to compare Allen to one of the greatest safeties of all time, but Reed embodies the skill set of a ball hawk. Allen’s play style takes on some of those skills on a smaller scale: anticipation, quick reaction and good hands.

Film Room Example No. 1: Week 17, 2014 Season

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Allen locks in on New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning’s eyes after the snap. He’s concerned with the quarterback instead of the receivers at this point.

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Manning spots his wideout Rueben Randle gaining ground on the defender and tries to squeeze a tight pass into a small window between the receiver and Allen.

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Allen, who followed Manning’s eyes from centerfield, anticipates the throw and quickly breaks for the incoming pass to Randle. 

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The ball hangs in the air long enough for Allen to flash in front of the receiver and secure the interception.

Manning could’ve thrown a tighter pass, but Allen made a split-second decision and an impact play to force the turnover with good hands.

Film Room Example No. 2: Week 13, 2014 Season

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Allen backpedals as the one-high safety in the formation. Again, his responsibility revolves around following the action. Essentially, ball hawking.

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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo sees what Manning saw in the first film example. The wide receiver, Dez Bryant, gains some separation on the defender who’s aware of the safety help over the top.

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Romo attempts to fit a pass through a tight window with hope that his big physical receiver swipes the ball out of the air at its high point.

Allen's anticipation and split-second reaction allow him to cover the pass 12 yards from centerfield. He snags the interception before the ball enters Bryant’s catch radius.

In real-time, his sweeping interceptions look similar to safety Charles Woodson’s well-timed interceptions this season. As a Raiders fan, it’s good to know two safeties with those type of ball skills patrol the secondary.

T.J. Carrie Back at Cornerback 

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Through conventional wisdom, it’s safe to assume Carrie moves back to patrolling the perimeter as the Raiders No. 1 cornerback. This becomes an ancillary effect of Allen’s return, but it’s important.

Carrie essentially played three positions for the Raiders. Punt returner, safety and cornerback. For any player, that’s a lot of responsibility.

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is known for saying, “Do your job.” Well, Carrie had three jobs and each responsibility has its own set of contingencies. Now, he can focus on perfecting his role as one of the best cornerbacks in the game. 

Thus far, Carrie hasn’t allowed a touchdown while lining up as a cornerback. When targeted, receivers have amassed a 48.3 percent catch percentage. He practiced in full on Wednesday and told reporters he’s "feeling great."

Marcus Thigpen’s role as a return specialist should spare Carrie punt return duties on special teams, which keeps him away from extra high-velocity bang-bang plays and focused on top-tier competition in coverage. 

Allen’s return next to Woodson, couples two safeties capable of forcing turnovers at a high rate in the secondary. Woodson’s injury hurts his tackling technique; he’s missed 10 tackles through eight games. After losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Woodson described his left arm as weak to local reporters: 

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“I don’t know how to be hurt. If I’m able to get up and move around, I’m not coming off the field. It’s weak to say the least, but like I said I don’t know how to be hurt." 

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That’s commendable, but it doesn’t help when the secondary needs a sure touchdown-saving tackle downfield. Launching arm tackles will cost the defense yards after the catch. Allen’s presence as a cover safety with solid tackling provides the Raiders with extra protection when chasing down receivers.

The domino effect of pinning Carrie into position as a perimeter defender potentially keeps No. 1 wideouts contained with adequate help over the top. No more Antonio Brown-type performances or anything close to it should occur. All of a sudden, Oakland’s pass defense doesn’t resemble the worst in the league.

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All statistics are provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com, Pro Football Focus and Team Rankings unless otherwise noted.