Defense could help Raiders put focus back on football

A return to the field on Sunday could give the Raiders a sense of normalcy after one of the most chaotic weeks the franchise has ever endured.

For about three hours at Empower Field in Denver, the players and coaches can escape into the game they have played their whole lives and forget about the leaked email scandal that saw their coach resign in disgrace and filled up newspapers, websites and television shows all week.

“No matter what happens, the mission stays the same,” defensive end Maxx Crosby said. “I’m just worried about the Broncos. We’re trying to get another win. … We put in way too much damn work to not finish this job. We love what we do, and no matter what happens, we’ve got to show up and produce on Sundays.”

They finally get a chance to do that when they face the Broncos at 1:25 p.m.

The offense must make a massive adjustment. Jon Gruden was the architect of the system and the play-caller on game days.

Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley’s group should be able to maintain the status quo, which could be a calming influence. Bradley and his staff will continue as normal in their preparation and execution.

They will lean on Crosby and fellow standout defensive end Yannick Ngakoue to not only make plays and generate pressure, but also provide leadership for a defense that will have to play a big role if the Raiders hope to end a two-game losing streak.

“I mean they are so consistent,” Bradley said of the bookend pass rushers. “When they walk into the building you know exactly what you are going to get.”

They lead the right way, Bradley said.

“They have a unique style in that they can call guys out, and if it’s not to the standard we want, they’ll call them out. They’ll call them out in meetings, on the field, but in the way that the standard is the most important thing. Our standard won’t change regardless of the circumstances.”

It won’t be easy. Even if the power structure on the defensive side hasn’t been altered, there is a new voice at the top with interim coach Rich Bisaccia. The veteran assistant will have the tough task of keeping the ship afloat through choppy waters that haven’t receded much all week.

The defense could be asked to play a major role in making that happen, a task Crosby believes they are more than capable of fulfilling.

While the front four hasn’t been quite as disruptive the last two weeks as they were in the previous three, it’s still a confident group that could play a big part in creating chaos and momentum if they get the rush going again.

Bradley said the group is seeing teams keep extra blockers in protection and trying to have tight ends chip more coming off the line to slow down the pass rush.

Crosby said they are up to the challenge.

“No matter what’s going on, we feel like we have a responsibility to show up and be the best defensive line in the league. We’re going to try to do that every time we step on the field,” he said.

“I just have to do my best to keep everybody locked in, even though it’s easy to read into all the articles and go down the rabbit hole, you’ve got to stay focused.”

Bradley believes this team has the maturity to do that.

“They are pretty strong,” he said. “I think adversity gives you an opportunity to demonstrate who you are or how you handle things, and that’s something that we’ve talked about. But I think it’s their character anyway.”

He senses the players are ready to move on.

“The one thing I think I’ve noticed with the players is they are pretty resilient, even more so than coaches. They get over things pretty quick. They deal with it, and they move on to the next thing, ‘All right, what’s the game plan? How are we going to go about this?’

“They understand it’s a difficult situation, but they have the ability to recover quickly and then move on.”

That ability will certainly be put to the test on Sunday.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.