(Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images)
The Las Vegas Raiders dropped to 0-2 in the preseason after Saturday night’s 27-12 loss to the Dallas Cowboys as all eyes remain on the quarterback competition between Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell, who are both still in the running to start in Week 1.
While the QB competition is naturally front and center, there’s another unit on the team that is set up to be dominant, and Pat McAfee agrees.
During the game, the Raiders played their starters for multiple drives early on, and Pat McAfee was particularly impressed with one unit on the defense, saying on X “Raiders D-line is gonna be a problem.”
Raiders D Line is gonna be a problem
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 18, 2024
Defensive end Maxx Crosby continues to be the star of the show and is only getting better after posting career highs with 90 tackles and 14.5 sacks last season, and he will be bookended by Malcolm Koonce, who broke out to post eight sacks and three forced fumbles last season.
The big offseason addition came in the form of Christian Wilkins, who left the Miami Dolphins to sign a hefty four-year, $110 million deal to be the new anchor of the Raiders defense at defensive tackle.
He is one of the best in the game at his position and posted a career-high nine sacks last season, and his presence should free up Crosby and Koonce even more.
This unit is also reliable, as Crosby hasn’t missed a game in his five-year career while Koonce has played all 17 games the past two seasons and Wilkins hasn’t missed a game since 2020.
The offense has some question marks, but the boys in the trenches on defense are positioned to eat this season.
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