In the season opener against the Broncos, Raiders fourth overall pick Clelin Ferrell got his first sack. I asked him about it after the game, and he responded that it was a relief to get it out of the way, so there wouldn’t be so much pressure to get his first NFL sack. Seven games later, he was still sitting on that one sack. Last week that changed in a big way.
Ferrell got to Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers three times in the Thursday night affair for a total of 2.5 sacks. And just like that, Ferrell was second on the team in sacks behind Benson Mayowa (7.0).
To be fair, the entire Raiders line was feasting on the Chargers’ two backup tackles, not just Ferrell. But imagine if even in this favorable position, Ferrell still couldn’t get into the backfield? All he can do is beat the man in front of him, and that’s what he did.
Admittedly when it comes to pass rushers, especially those selected as high in the draft as Ferrell, a lot of emphases are placed on sacks. Perhaps too much. After all, being an every-down starting defensive end is about so much more than getting the quarterback. And even when it is about that, it isn’t always all about sacks. Hits and pressures are also important, as was also shown against the Chargers.
There’s also the matter of run defense. If an end can’t defend the run, he won’t see a lot of time on first and second down. When you consider that aspect of the game, it was the week prior against the Lions that Ferrell really started to turn things around. He only built upon that performance to bring some pass rush last week.
“He’s coming off his best game,” said Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther. “I really think the light came on for him in the second half of the Detroit game. Walking off the field with him, I was like, ‘I think the light just came on for you. Really.’ And then he went out against the Chargers and played really good.”
According to Guenther, it wasn’t just Ferrell’s performance on the field that caused him to believe Ferrell had turned the corner; it was the look in Ferrell’s eyes. Something I’m sure Ferrell confirmed against the Chargers five days later.
The way Guenther has been deploying Ferrell also contributed to Ferrell’s ineffectiveness in the first half of the season. He moved Ferrell inside a lot on obvious passing downs, limiting his chances to get after the quarterback. That’s not to say that was the only reason Ferrell wasn’t making a significant impact because there was no proof of that, but things aligned for him against the Chargers.
Arden Key was placed on injured reserve, and Josh Mauro was out injured as well, putting the Raiders a bit shorthanded. They couldn’t move Ferrell and Mauro inside and bring in edge rushers. Instead, fellow rookie Maxx Crosby started on the other side, and Ferrell was given a chance to get after the quarterback against a backup who was ill-prepared, coming into the game for Russell Okung, who left with an injury.
Everything was aligned for Ferrell. All he needed to do was seize the opportunity. And he did. In a big way. It can’t end there, though. For Ferrell, this needs to be the start of something.
“Yeah, he needs to keep it going,” Guenther added. “[Head] Coach [Jon Gruden] just got done saying you know, ‘with Michael Jordan’s height, you’ve got to get him the ball.”
Sunday Guenther’s former team, the Bengals, comes to Oakland. Guenther had a few defensive ends he drafted there who had Jordan height. Michael Johnson and Carlos Dunlap, in particular, come to mind. He saw them in Ferrell, which prompted his drafting. Both of whom have had long careers in the league. Dunlap got his second sack in his seventh game, Johnson, in week 12.
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