Ahead of the the Las Vegas Raiders' Week 3 contest against the Carolina Panthers, it was announced the team will be without defensive end Malcolm Koonce for the rest of the 2024 NFL season, per NFL insider Jordan Schultz. He suffered a knee injury during practice. A 2021 third-round draft pick out of the University of Buffalo, Koonce is in the final year of his contract. He finished the 2023 season with 43 combined tackles, eight sacks and three forced fumbles. Due to injuries, Koonce had yet to play in 2024.
Two weeks ago, Koonce was added to the injury report after practice and did not suit up in the Raiders' season-opening game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
At the time, head coach Antonio Pierce said the defense had a next-man-up mentality regarding Koonce's injury.
“He’ll be out,” Pierce confirmed before the Chargers game. “When one guy’s out, next-man-up mentality. Tyree Wilson, J-Rob [Janarius Robinson], those guys have had a lot of opportunities to play, and we expect them to step up and play well.”
Wilson, the Raiders' 2023 first-round pick, has yet to find his groove this season and did not play in Week 2. PFF grades him 59.6 overall. The seventh-round choice out of Texas Tech didn't play much as a rookie but did finish the year with four sacks. Robinson (39.1 PFF), a 2021 fourth-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings, has floated between the Eagles' injured reserve and Raiders practice squad and has played 60 snaps to start the season. Another journeyman defensive end, Charles Snowden (44.2 PFF), has played 57 snaps.
How Antonio Pierce can coach up Raiders defense
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The Las Vegas Raiders have the 25th-ranked defensive DVOA (23rd defensive passing DVOA & 28th defensive rushing DVOA). What does this all mean? It means that compared to a statistical baseline performance, the Raiders are below average. It doesn't help matters that in addition to Koonce, LB Divine Deablo and CB Decamerion Richardson will be out this week.
Maxx Crosby, Tyree Wilson and Christian Wilkins are all questionable to play. This is a banged-up Raiders team going up against a potentially reenergized Carolina Panthers team that may be happy to have Andy Dalton in the starting lineup.
The Raiders need to find a way to control the football and win time of possession. By wearing out the other team's defense, the Raiders can keep their own defense off the field, potentially disrupting Dalton's rhythm.
