Irvin nearing personal sack record
When rookie linebacker Nicholas Morrow joined the Raiders this spring, one established teammate on the defense quickly caught his eye.
“The first time I watched ... film on practice and I saw Bruce (Irvin), I was like, ‘Wow, Bruce is the game-changer on defense,’ ” Morrow said. “He can cover, he can blitz the quarterback and he has good run defense, so he’s definitely the game changer.”
After a quiet first half this season, Irvin has been making his impact felt more the past three weeks. The linebacker’s five sacks lead the league over that span and give him 7.5 on the season, a half-sack behind his career high set as a rookie in 2012. He has 15 total tackles and two forced fumbles in those games.
Irvin’s surge has come in the weeks since the Raiders fired former defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr., with whom Irvin was close, and transferred Norton’s duties to assistant head coach of defense John Pagano.
When Irvin arrived in the NFL as a first-round pick in 2012, Norton was his position coach in Seattle. The two were together for three seasons until Norton left the Seahawks after the 2015 season to become Oakland’s defensive coordinator under Jack Del Rio.
Irvin signed a four-year deal with the Raiders before last season that reunited him with Norton. When the Raiders fired Norton on Nov. 21, with their record at 4-6, Irvin gave his reaction via a one-word expletive on Twitter.
Irvin, along with defensive end Khalil Mack, did not practice the day after Norton was fired and did not discuss the move that week. He was still hesitant to talk about his recent production Thursday, saying he didn’t want to come off as criticizing Norton.
“I think Pagano’s been doing a great job of dialing pressures up, using his personnel like me and Mack, letting us go forward and do what we do best, rushing the passer,” Irvin said. “I think he’s done a great job of unleashing us.”
Though the first two games under Pagano came against backup quarterbacks in Denver’s Paxton Lynch and New York’s Geno Smith, Irvin had two first-quarter sacks of Kansas City quarterback Alex Smith on Sunday and was in on another that was credited to NaVorro Bowman.
The Raiders, who had 14 sacks in their first 10 games, have 12 over their past three. Along with Irvin, Mack (three sacks in that span) and Denico Autry (three) have had more success getting to the quarterback.
“All these guys have been more focused,” Pagano said Thursday. “The identity that we’re trying to create, the listening to the plan of how we’re going to attack these things in the rush game — that’s been good for us.
“Bruce and Denico and Khalil, getting those guys going throughout the four-man rush and truly changing it up, getting them moving, is better for us. But Bruce is doing what we’re asking him to do, and he’s doing it at a high level right now.”
The Raiders have generated much of their recent pressure by bringing four rushers, with Mack especially toggling between lining up inside and outside the tackles. Irvin said Pagano has been “doing a great job calling blitzes at the right times, disguising guys and stuff like that.”
Irvin last week told NBC Sports Bay Area that Norton’s firing was “a wake-up call for us,” and that players on the defense “really started to hone in and get in their books.” The next three games should provide a stout test. Oakland’s last three opponents rank 20th or lower in the NFL in sacks allowed this season. The Raiders still face the Cowboys (10th), Eagles (16th) and Chargers (first).
Injury report: Receiver Amari Cooper (ankle) and defensive lineman Mario Edwards Jr. (ankle) missed a second consecutive practice Thursday. Cornerback David Amerson (foot), who has not played since Week 7, did not practice after being limited Wednesday.
Safety Obi Melifonwu (hip), tight end Clive Walford (concussion/neck) and running back Marshawn Lynch (rest) also did not practice. Defensive tackle Denico Autry (hand/ankle), tight end Jared Cook (wrist), guard Jon Feliciano (concussion) and safety Keith McGill (knee) were limited.