Third down is like a game within the game and was one that the Raiders were struggling with defensively — and then came Sunday’s 21-14 win over the Denver Broncos.



Before the Broncos game, the Raiders were allowing opponents to convert on 46 percent of third downs. Winning football games is difficult when you can’t get off the field on third down.



While game-planning and preparation are important, defensive third-down play-calling is vital. Shortly after the Raiders announced that they were parting ways with defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr., coach Jack Del Rio said, “I have the utmost respect for Ken as a person and as a coach, but I feel that moving John Pagano into the play-calling role will best utilize his wealth of experience.”



Although there were rumors circulating about how much control Norton really had before he was fired, it seems as if he was at least the one calling the plays on game day. The numbers speak for...