During the 11-on-11 portion of Tuesday’s practice, Raiders quarterback EJ Manuel threw a pass that was tipped and deflected into the hands of defensive back Marcus Gilchrist.
As Gilchrist returned the ball, defensive players from both the field and sideline sprinted after him, surrounding him near the end zone and whooping in celebration.
Last year’s Oakland defense didn’t have many such moments during the season, going the first 10 games without an interception and finishing with a league-low five. The Raiders’ 14 takeaways tied for second fewest in the NFL and contributed to a minus-14 turnover margin (tied for 29th).