Raiders coach Jon Gruden said recently that it’s hard to find a good pass rusher. His team is proving that.
According to Chris Trapasso of the Buffalo News, using data compiled by Pro Football Focus, the Raiders are dead last in the NFL in pressure rate: The Raiders have faced 98 dropbacks this season and only pressured the opposing quarterback 19 times. That pressure rate of 19.4 percent is the worst in the league.
The conventional stats tell the same story: The Raiders have recorded only three sacks this season, the fewest in the NFL. It doesn’t make Gruden look great when the Bears lead the NFL with 14 sacks, and the Bears’ best pass rusher, Khalil Mack, is the man Gruden traded away before the start of the season.
For his part, Gruden has shrugged his shoulders and asked where he’s supposed to find a good pass rusher.
“It’s hard to find a great one. It’s hard to find a good one. It’s hard to find one,” Gruden said. “College football now, they’re not really dropping back to pass and throwing footballs anymore. They’re throwing laterals and they’re throwing bubble screens and they’re throwing read options. So you’ve got to train these guys. It takes a little time to learn how to rush the passer.”
Gruden has to hope he can find a good pass rusher some day. The one he had is gone.