Pressure Will Be High On Stanford Routt And Oakland Raiders’ Defensive Backs
Superstar cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha anchored an Oakland Raiders’ defense that allowed the second-fewest passing yards in the league last season. With Asomugha gone to the Eagles, the Raiders could be in for a rude awakening in 2011.
Stanford Routt, the top returning corner for Oakland, has impressive speed, but he’s averaged just one interception per year for his career. As noted by CSN Bay Area, he also got eaten up by unheralded rookie WR Denarius Moore during yesterday’s practice.
Even with Asomugha, the Raiders’ secondary showed some vulnerabilities. Despite their impressive showing in yards allowed, the club surrendered 29 TDs through the air last season, 28th in the NFL.
Ironically, the Raiders’ pass rush may also suffer from the loss of Asomugha. Having a shutdown corner on one side of the field helped the Raiders blitz their defensive backs (to the tune of eight combined sacks for safeties Michael Huff and Tyvon Branch), a luxury they may no longer have.
The Raiders have to hope backup Chris Johnson (two INTs in 12 games last year) or someone else steps up to give them a plausible starter in Asomugha’s spot. Even in the best case scenario, though, it’s hard to imagine the Raiders not suffering a serious letdown in pass defense with the personnel they have on the roster.
