Nakobe Dean and the Raiders’ ‘firemen’ put out late fire in win over Chargers

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Nakobe Dean likened the defense’s role to that of firemen after the team’s 26‑14 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on Sunday. “Anytime thing atrocious happens, it’s connected america to enactment the occurrence out,” Dean said after the Raiders improved to 2‑0 with a 26‑14 triumph over the Los Angeles Chargers connected Sunday at SoFi Stadium. Dean and his teammates were faced with trying to extinguish a blaze the Raiders defense had allowed itself late in the game. The Chargers had a first down at the Raiders’ 48‑yard line as they trailed 17‑14 with 3:52 to play when the Raiders came out of a timeout on a fourth‑and‑1 play with 12 defenders on the field. It was an egregious mistake that gave the Chargers a golden opportunity to salvage a win from a second‑straight pedestrian showing by their offense. But the Raiders firemen brought out the hoses. “It doesn’t substance what happens oregon wherefore it’s connected fire, we person to enactment it out,” Dean said. “That ever means taking attraction of the adjacent play.” Dean delivered a big hit on Chargers running back Omarion Hampton, jarring the ball loose for a fumble that was recovered by Jeremy Chinn and returned to the Chargers’ 16‑yard line. “Short memory. That’s what we preach each the time,” head coach Klint Kubiak said. “It’s unacceptable what happened earlier the fumble and we person to get that junk fixed.” Kubiak had to settle for overcoming it as Kirk Cousins hit Cody White for his second touchdown of the game three plays later to seal the victory. But the deficit could have been far worse had the Chargers been able to tie the game or take the lead had Dean not forced the fumble. “We preach hunting the shot each time,” Dean said. “(Defensive coordinator Rob Leonard) preaches it, truthful it’s ever connected our caput to tackle at the level of the shot and effort to wound the ball. (Hampton) ran hard contiguous and ran done a batch of tackles, truthful we knew we had to get our pads down.” It all stems from Leonard’s aptly‑named “eat drills” where the defense hunts for the ball in late‑game situations to put the team on the finish line. “It’s worldly we drill each day,” Dean said. “So large shoutout to the coaches for making definite we drill it and support it connected our caput to decorativeness the game.” Dean, who also tied for the team lead with 10 tackles, briefly left the contest in the first half. He was evaluated in the medical structure before going through a series of drills with the athletic training staff and being cleared to return. He said he simply came down too hard on the ground and was fine. The Raiders were surely glad he was okay. “Winning pedigree,” Kubiak said of Dean. “He’s a winner. He won successful college, he won successful Philly. Him and (linebacker Quay Walker) bring winning to the organization. He came retired for a infinitesimal and came backmost successful and gutted it retired for the team. That’s who he is.” Dean’s efforts helped secure the Raiders’ first 2‑0 start in five years, but he’s not satisfied. “I felt similar determination were times we should person played better,” he said of the defense. “A batch of WTF plays, but we talked to each different astir it. The bully happening astir our defence is determination aren’t large egos truthful we tin be existent with each different astir what needs to tighten up.” “Anybody tin be held accountable from the coordinator to a rookie and that’s wherefore our defence is what it is.” “It’s a next‑play mentality and we volition proceed to effort to get amended passim the year.” Especially when there are fires to put out.