After going without safety Johnathan Abram in their 45-20 loss to the Buccaneers Week 7, the hope for the Raiders was that the defense just wasn’t themselves that day — especially considering Abram’s absence.
He returned from the reserve/COVID-19 list in time to suit up against the Browns in Week 8, and the Raiders didn’t allow a touchdown. The poor weather in Cleveland and a productive offense certainly provided an assist, but Abram was also a clear factor in the win.
Defensive coordinator Paul Guenther sent Abram on a handful of blitzes early, and his ferocity and swagger set the tone for the day. Coach Jon Gruden praised Abram’s effort rushing the pocket, noting that Abram would have notched a sack if he wasn’t offsides on the same play. Gruden also commented on Abram’s on-field demeanor.
“He has a playing style that I like. He has that physical gameday presence that we feel like we need back in this organization,” Gruden said to reporters on Monday. “He still has a long way to go to become a great safety, but I think you see the splash plays that he’s capable of making. He brings us some leadership and some energy that we really need in the backend.
“When he’s on the field on gameday, something happens to him and our team. He just has a presence about him, a playing style, leadership, playmaking that we need. We feed off of that. It was obvious again yesterday.”
Abram missed nearly all of his rookie campaign a year ago, after injuring his shoulder in his first game with the Raiders. He’s one of Las Vegas’ prized first-round picks made in the last two years, five in total due to the Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper trades.
As Gruden said, Abram has a long way to go— as does the Raiders defense. But it appears he has the skills to thrive in the NFL and to raise the play of his teammates, which is exactly what the club needs to turn its defense around.
