By going 1-on-1, corner improved
It has been suggested that a tweak in philosophy helped spark Raiders cornerback Sean Smith’s improved play the past month.
After assistant head coach John Pagano took over defensive play-calling duties in Week 12, the Raiders began assigning their corners more to shadow individual receivers. Smith has appeared to take to the strategy, lining up across from such receivers as Demaryius Thomas, Dez Bryant and Alshon Jeffery since then with impressive results.
In Weeks 1-11 this season, Smith’s passer rating allowed was 120.8, placing him 109th among NFL cornerbacks, according to Pro Football Focus. It’s 36.3 in five games since, good for 10th in the league.
In Smith’s view, though, the key to his improvement is even more straightforward.
“I’ve been the same player since I got here,” Smith said Friday. “Coach wants me to follow somebody, I’ll do it. I’m more than capable of doing it.
“As far as that helping me? Nah. What’s helping me is being on the field.”
Smith, who signed a fouryear, $38 million contract prior to last season, started just two of the Raiders’ first 10 games this year. He was inactive in Week 2 with a neck injury and returned to play only three snaps against Washington in Week 3. When the Raiders hosted the Chargers in Week 6, Smith spent the game on the sideline, not entering for a single play.
“That’s ridiculous,” Smith said. “Not having me on the field does not make you a better defense.”
The defense as a whole has played better under Pagano, who took the reins after coordinator Ken Norton Jr., was fired Nov. 21. In Weeks 1-11, the Raiders allowed 367.1 yards per game with 14 sacks and four takeaways. In five games since then, they’ve allowed an average of 287 yards with 16 sacks and eight takeaways.
Smith certainly has played a part as the Raiders have used him to guard opponents’ bigger receivers.
Denver’s Thomas (6-foot-3, 229 pounds) had five catches for 18 yards while matched up mostly against Smith (6-3, 220) in Week 12. Dallas’ Bryant (6-2, 220), had two catches for 59 yards in Week 15 — a game in which Smith also had two interceptions. The Eagles did not target Jeffery (6-3, 218), their leading receiver going into the game, one time on Christmas.
Pagano acknowledged the Raiders are “not the first team” to shadow receivers but said he thinks it gives their cornerbacks “opportunity and focus.”
“Sometimes you’re going to be on guys, sometimes you’re not,” Pagano said. “I think from that standpoint, it gets them honed in on the players, on the receivers, to do a little bit extra work during the week to where you really, truly know what he’s going to do and who they focus on.”
Head coach Jack Del Rio recently said Smith has been “much more on point” in the past month. How the Raiders will view Smith this offseason remains to be seen.
Smith’s struggles early this season opened the possibility that the Raiders could release him to avoid paying the $8.5 million he is owed in 2018, according to Spotrac.
Smith is facing legal issues stemming from a July 4 incident in which he allegedly assaulted his sister’s former boyfriend in Pasadena. Smith recently was ordered to stand trial in the case and is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday, three days after Oakland’s finale against the Chargers.
According to the Los Angeles Times, two witnesses testified at a Dec. 19 preliminary hearing to seeing Smith stomp the head of Christopher Woods while Woods lay unconscious. Woods required a metal plate and screws inserted underneath his right eye and reconstructive surgery on his left eye socket, and also tore his left anterior cruciate ligament.
Smith pleaded not guilty to felony charges of assault by means of force to produce great bodily injury and battery with serious bodily injury, the Times reported. If convicted, he faces up to seven years in prison.
Smith said Friday that it has been “not hard at all” to separate on- and off-field issues this season.
“When I come to work, I’m at work,” he said. “Nothing else matters. I’ll deal with anything else when I step out these walls, but when I’m here, it’s all about work.”
Asked if he expects to still be with the Raiders next season, Smith said: “I’m only worried about Sunday, boss. That’s thinking too far down the road.”