That’s not always an easy lesson for young players to learn, especially one like Abram whose hit-first-ask-questions-later style often leaves an opponent — or, more importantly, himself — laid out on the field feeling dazed and confused after a big play.
It’s a fine line, no doubt, but one that is critical for the Raiders defense which had Abram on the field for less than 30 minutes a year ago before an injury ended his rookie campaign.
“I think one of the things that he understands is there’s a time where you can take your shot and if it’s a real good shot, if a guy is hemmed up by somebody else and you’re coming to the stack,” Las Vegas defensive coordinator Paul Guenther said. “But if you’re in the open field or you’re the last man to the party, whatever it may be, you have to come to balance, track the near hip and tackle the runner. There’s two different ways of going about it playing safety.
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‘It's fun to learn positive things once in a while'
Raiders head coach Jon Gruden has had his hands full trying to keep the Raiders in the playoff hunt and he’s found plenty of reasons to be optimistic about their chances. Gruden talked to reporters about some of the team’s players who will be key down the stretch, including kicker Daniel Carlson who quietly has put together a very solid season.
TIME FOR PLAYOFF PUSH
What appeared to be a pretty clear path to the playoffs following their last-second loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 11 quickly turned into a rocky road that had the Raiders on the outside looking in at the postseason.
DESPERATE DEFENSIVE LINE
It is no secret that the key to a good defense starts up front. Playing well in the trenches can make up for a host of troubles on the back end and makes any defensive coordinator’s job much, much easier.
Raiders' good, bad, ugly
TEAM THAT BUILT ITS HISTORY AND LEGACY OFF OF THE DEEP BALL
Morrow making moves
For a guy who went undrafted and who has never really had a lock on a starting job, Nicholas Morrow might very well be the most important player on the Raiders defense this season.
Incognito out after surgery
Richie Incognito’s season officially ended after the veteran offensive lineman underwent foot surgery in late November. It also might have signaled the end of Incognito’s stay in Las Vegas.
Free agent frenzy turns to fizzle
From the first pick to the last, the NFL draft is a complete roll of the dice. There are no sure things, no guarantees of a player’s success regardless of where he gets selected. Every team rolls the dice and hopes for the best.
CONFIDENCE BOOST
Ruggs back on right track after reeling in game-winner
Anchor aweigh?
Raiders have decision to make about oft-injured OT Brown
AFC WEST ROUNDUP
Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers
Maduremos en nuestro diezmar
MINISTERIO DE MAYORDOMIA Paul Holt Director ejecutivo de Finanzas y Administración
The Body Politic: Rebecca Traister
Stacey Abrams on Finishing the Job in Georgia “It can be undone just as quickly as we did it.”
This is not your same old Bills
This isn’t your same old Buffalo Bills. And if you needed more proof, take a look at the most pivotal moment from Buffalo’s Week 4 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Breaking down the two Las Vegas deals
The Dolphins did a lot of work on Lynn Bowden Jr. before the 2020 NFL draft, intrigued by what he could bring to the offense based on his athletic ability and his background as a college quarterback-receiver.
Was Charlotte Dod the Greatest Athlete Ever?
The remarkable career of a Victorian athletic phenom—and the legacy that wasn’t
RISE OF SKYWALKER' IS A SOUR END TO A GRAND SAGA
Not much has caused a disturbance in the “Star Wars” galaxy quite like-Rian Johnson's “The Last Jedi,’ an erratic but electric movie ' that, regardless of how you felt about it, was something worth arguing about.
Manipulation Machines
How disinformation campaigns suppress the Black vote
Bills Trade Wr Jones To Raiders For Pick
Zay Jones’ turbulent time with the Buffalo Bills came to an end on Oct. 8 when the Bills traded Jones to the Oakland Raiders for a 2021 fifth-round pick.
YOU CAN'T RAID US OF IDENTITY!
CHAIRMAN Stephen Harris insists there are “no plans” for Worcester Raiders to get swallowed up despite a takeover by the owners of the city’s rugby club and League Two Morecambe.
THE LONG GAME - FALLOUT 76
A progress report on the games we just can’t quit