The Las Vegas Raiders seem to be in good shape at the moment. They’re coming off a big win this week, giving them a 1-1 record. With a favorable matchup against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, there’s a solid chance the Raiders can improve to 2-1 on the year.
However, things might not be that easy. While the Raiders have played pretty well on defense so far this season, one area in which they’ve lacked a bit has been against play action. That just so happens to be an area in which the Panthers might attack on Sunday, which could be a problem for Las Vegas.
As Sharp points out here, the Raiders have actually been arguably the worst team, statistically, against play action this season. They rank last in EPA per attempt and success rate, and are second to last in yards allowed per attempt.
It’s a strange stat, because the Raiders’ defense hasn’t been bad against the pass by any means. Las Vegas has given up 372 total passing yards through two games, which leaves them smack-dab in the middle of the league. They haven’t been dominant, but nowhere near worst in the league.