Through Week 2, the Las Vegas Raiders had the fourth-ranked run defense in the NFL (70.5 yards per game) along with allowing the fourth-fewest yards per carry in the league (3.2). Stopping the run was clearly a focus for defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, with eight or more defenders in the box 34 percent of the time (the fifth-highest such rate in the league, according to Pro Football Focus), and it was working well.
Week 3 against the Washington Commanders was going to be a different challenge for the Raiders defense, since quarterback Jayden Daniels is one of the best running quarterbacks in the league.