PRO FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : RAIDERS : Raiders Benefit From Turnovers

It is no secret that a big reason for the Raiders’ success this season has been their ability to force turnovers. The Raiders were last in the league in turnover margin last season and finished out of the playoffs with a 7-9 record. This year, they have turned it around by forcing 14 turnovers, while giving the ball up only 10 times.

“That is one of the biggest changes this year,” Raider linebacker Winston Moss said. “We’ve been doing it on defense with our rush and our coverage.”

Led by defensive end Anthony Smith, who leads the league with 10 sacks, the Raiders are tops in the NFL with 26. Greg Townsend, who had three sacks in the Raiders’ 23-20 victory over the Denver Broncos last week, has 104 sacks in his career, which is the most among active players in the AFC.