Secondary coach Ricky Manning Jr. calls them “the sharks”:
Tre’von Moehrig, Jakorian Bennett, and Nate Hobbs — the trio fueling the defensive resurgence.

Moehrig’s range has turned the Raiders’ single-high coverages into a weapon.
Bennett’s closing speed allows for aggressive press techniques without fear of getting beat deep.
And Hobbs, finally healthy, has rediscovered the slot-corner ferocity that made him a breakout star in 2022.

“We’re synchronized now,” Hobbs said. “When the ball’s in the air, it feels like a feeding frenzy.”

That synchronization shows up in film.
In 2024, Las Vegas defenders deflected just 49 passes. Through four weeks of 2025, they already have 28.
Tips lead to turnovers — and now they’re coming in bunches.

VII. The Offensive Counterpart: Ball Security Above All

While the defense learned to take the ball away, the offense learned how not to give it back.

Running backs Josh Jacobs and Zamir White both carry footballs dipped in baby oil during ball-security periods, a Carroll trademark dating back to his Seattle days.
Wide receivers are graded on “finish-through-contact” drills.

“If we can touch the ball 60 times and never let it go, that’s 60 small victories,” Jacobs said.

The results are measurable:

• Fumbles lost: Down from 12 to 3.

• Drops leading to picks: None so far.

• Sack-fumbles: Only one, recovered by the offense.

That’s not luck; it’s engineering.

VIII. The Hidden Stat: Team Speed

Turnover margin doesn’t exist in isolation.
It’s a byproduct of speed, pursuit, and spacing.

During the offseason, Carroll prioritized closing speed on defense.
The Raiders signed linebacker Jerome Baker and drafted safety Khalil Floyd, both sub-4.5 runners.
The idea: shorten reaction windows and multiply opportunities for disruption.

“When you arrive faster, you arrive angrier,” Baker said, grinning. “And angry tackles cause fumbles.”

Analytics back him up: Las Vegas now ranks top-three in “defensive hurry rate” — the percentage of snaps where at least one defender disrupts the play within 2.5 seconds.
Pressure equals panic, and panic equals takeaways.

IX. Pete Carroll’s Takeaway Equation

Carroll keeps a laminated card in his pocket with what he calls the Takeaway Equation:

Ball + Effort + Awareness = Opportunities
Opportunities + Finish = Takeaways

Every player gets a copy. Every practice drill maps back to that formula.

“The math is simple,” Carroll said. “You finish one more play per week than your opponent, you flip the narrative of your season.”

The Raiders have lived it.
After finishing last season with a turnover every 49 offensive plays, they now average one every 97.
Conversely, the defense is generating a takeaway every 33 snaps — up from every 74.

X. The Ripple Effect on Team Confidence

There’s a reason teams that win turnover battles win games: momentum is emotional.
Each takeaway recharges the sideline like caffeine.
Each turnover drained them like gravity.

Now, when Crosby strips a ball or Moehrig picks one off, the reaction isn’t surprise — it’s expectation.

“You can feel it in the huddle,” said quarterback O’Connell. “The defense gives us the ball back, and the offense already knows it’s time to pay it off. It’s an energy loop.”

Since Week 2, the Raiders have scored points on 78% of drives following a takeaway — the highest conversion rate in the league.

That’s how identity becomes scoreboard reality.

XI. Film Room: Controlled Aggression

Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham (retained as Carroll’s play-caller) emphasizes “controlled aggression.”
Each player has green-light triggers — cues that tell them when to gamble and when to stay home.

For example:

• Linebackers attack inside zone handoffs only when the center’s eyes drift downfield — a tell for the run concept.

• Corners break on in-routes only if the QB’s front shoulder closes.

• Blitzes disguise as drops until the offense audibles late.

That calculated aggression has reduced busted coverages while increasing forced errors.
Opponents have completed just 58% of passes into the intermediate zones (10–20 yards), down from 69% last year.

“Discipline doesn’t mean playing soft,” Graham said. “It means choosing violence wisely.”

XII. The Practice Revolution

Behind the scenes, Carroll’s staff transformed practice into chaos theater.

Every session ends with what players call “The Gauntlet.”
Music blaring. Coaches screaming.
Players rotate through stations — ball-security circuits, interception return drills, forced-fumble recoveries.

If anyone drops the ball, the entire unit runs.

“It’s exhausting,” said Hobbs, laughing. “But when it’s fourth quarter on Sunday and the ball’s bouncing around, we don’t panic — we pounce.”

The drills build muscle memory, and muscle memory breeds instinct.

XIII. The Statistical Threshold

League history offers a benchmark:
Teams that finish +5 or better in turnover differential make the playoffs 80% of the time.
Teams –5 or worse miss them 87% of the time.

The Raiders are hovering near even after the first quarter of the season — their best start in five years.
If current trends hold, analysts project a final margin around +8 — enough to transform them from fringe contenders to legitimate threats in the AFC West.

XIV. Voices from the Locker Room

Maxx Crosby: “We’re tired of being almost. Takeaways make you finish. That’s our word this year — finish.”

Aidan O’Connell: “Coach always says protect it like your life. He’s not kidding. You lose the ball, you lose the game. Simple math.”