When the Raiders line up against the Rams in Week 7, the spotlight will naturally drift toward the star names. But the real fight could come where the cameras usually don’t linger: right in the middle of the line of scrimmage.
Las Vegas is staring at a tough test against a Los Angeles roster loaded with high-end talent, even if not every one of those players will suit up Sunday. The Rams’ 2-4 record doesn’t fully capture how difficult they can be, and Klint Kubiak’s team is going to feel that in the trenches at Allegiant Stadium. The Raiders’ defensive tackle room, which has been a problem for much of the season, has to deal with a Rams interior offensive line that has done its job and then some.
For the Silver and Black, this isn’t the kind of matchup that grabs headlines. It doesn’t center on Maxx Crosby, Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua or Brock Bowers.
But it might matter just as much. If Las Vegas can hold up inside, its chances of winning go way up.
The problem is that the Raiders’ interior defensive line hasn’t done much to inspire confidence through six games. Foley Fatukasi leads the group with nine pressures.
Tonka Hemingway and Jonah Laulu follow with five each, while Adam Butler and Thomas Booker IV have four apiece. The raw total - 27 pressures in six games - is hard to ignore, especially with 13 of those coming in the first two contests.
The sack production hasn’t been there either, with just 1.5 sacks to this point.
That lack of push has ripple effects. When the inside isn’t collapsing pockets, the edge rushers have to work harder than they should.
And against the run, the results have been just as ugly. The Raiders have given up the fifth-most rushing yards in the 2026 season and the fourth-highest yards per carry.
They’ve also allowed more than 100 rushing yards in each of their last five games.
This isn’t solely on the defensive tackles, but they haven’t helped the cause. Las Vegas has been beat between the tackles, and according to Pro Football Focus, only Butler is grading out at even a league-average level.
That’s why the Raiders need a much better showing from Rob Leonard’s group this week. The issue is that the Rams’ interior trio of Steve Avila, Kevin Dotson and Coleman Shelton has been steady and effective. None of the three has allowed a sack this season, and together they’ve kept pass rushers from winning many clean reps.
The numbers show some vulnerability, too: the trio has allowed 33 pressures and 11 hits. So there is a path for Las Vegas to create problems, even if those plays don’t always turn into sacks. But the Rams’ interior has mostly held firm, and there’s little reason to expect a sudden breakdown if the Raiders don’t bring something different.
That challenge could be even bigger if Tonka Hemingway is out again. He remains in concussion protocol and is arguably Las Vegas’ best pass rusher from the defensive tackle spot.
The Rams’ interior has also been a real factor in the run game. Avila, Dotson and Shelton have all earned above-average to very good marks from PFF, and the advanced numbers back it up. Los Angeles has rushed for 326 yards on 64 carries off its guards and center this season, a 5.1-yard average that says plenty about how well that group is moving people.
The Rams still lean on outside zone and have found chunk gains running off tackle, but Sunday could easily turn into a game of pounding the middle until someone stops it. That is exactly why the Raiders’ defensive tackle group has to respond.
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Raiders Face A Costly O-Line Decision At Exactly The Right Time
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Raiders Trade Deadline Focus Comes Down To One Crucial Roster Decision
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Jalen Nailors return has given the receiver room a needed boost, but the bigger issue remains how to strengthen the group around him without shortchanging other areas. Run blocking has been part of the concern, and the Raiders also know they need more depth at guard and receiver as they sort through their deadline options. The decision now is less about whether there is room to improve and more about which weakness deserves to be addressed first. [Read more 🡒]