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Adam Butler serving as a 'spark plug' for Raiders

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Seven seasons and 104 games into his NFL career, Raiders defensive tackle Adam Butler is playing with a level of intensity and joy that's hard to ignore.

He made his sixth start on Sunday – tying a single-season career high ­– and has become a key leader on and off the field for the Silver and Black.

"He's really been a bright spot for us this year," Head Coach Antonio Pierce said. "Just his effort, his energy and obviously, production as well."

After posting 28 tackles (16 solo) in 2023, Butler has already reached 28 total tackles in just seven games this season. His 19 solo tackles are a single-season career high.

According to defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, that production starts with Butler's daily process.

"First thing is consistency in terms of his demeanor, in terms of his approach to work," Graham said. "It's always been the same since I've known him. He comes in with a certain energy every day. He's a no-nonsense guy. And if he has a question, he's going to ask you. He's going to say, 'Why are we doing this?' Which any good coach, we're not going to shy away from that. That's good stuff."

Butler entered the NFL in 2017 as an undrafted free agent with New England after a collegiate career at Vanderbilt. In his four seasons with the Patriots, he was a part of three 11-win teams and played in two Super Bowls, winning Super Bowl LIII against the Rams.

His consistent attitude and approach come in part from his first-hand understanding of what it takes to reach the pinnacle of team success.

"Honestly, I know how to win," Butler said. "I come from winning. Shoot, when I was with the Patriots, the majority of my career there we were a winning football team. I just understand how critical it is to understand what your job is and understand how my individual role is a small little piece to the entire puzzle, but it's just as important as the rest of them. I understand that if one person is out of place it costs the whole team the game. In this league, this is the NFL, this is the best of the best and if you give them an inch, they'll take it."

With star defensive tackle Christian Wilkins on injured reserve and multiple younger players taking on heavier snap counts, Butler's veteran presence has become even more important.

One of the beneficiaries of his leadership has been defensive tackle Matthew Butler, a fifth-round pick by the Raiders in 2022 who was recently signed off the team's practice squad to the active roster.

"He is a leader that can lead by example and then when you're out of line or you're doing great, he can say that," Matthew Butler said. "I love it because he's like a brother and he doesn't have to tippy toe around your feelings or emotions. He can just talk to you because we're that tight."

Between the white lines, Adam Butler has played the third-most snaps (324) and recorded the second-most tackles (28) among NFL defensive tackles this season. He is also tied for fourth among all defensive tackles with 18 run stops. While his 16 quarterback pressures have yet to turn into a sack of his own, his relentless effort and pursuit of the football is creating lanes for teammates to make plays.

"It's the nuanced details that not everybody really notices, how he rushes obviously for him to get to the quarterback but how he rushes for others to get to the quarterback," Matthew Butler said. "How he coordinates the rush, how he plays the run, the changeups he has. Those are all things that I've learned from him. It's been great."

Look no further than the Rams' third offensive possession on Sunday.

On third-and-four, No. 69 fought off a would-be blocker to stop running back Kyren Williams for a three-yard gain. Then on fourth-and-one from the Raiders 49-yard line, Butler held his ground on the interior and allowed time for cornerback Nate Hobbs to corral Williams and force a turnover on downs.

"His energy on the field is just how he approaches the game," Graham said. "It's really important to him, you could tell that. Just even the first time I met him. The first time I watched him on tape, you could tell it's important to him. He knows his role and what we're asking him to do. And he just wants to be the best at what we're asking him to do and then challenge himself to put himself in those different categories with the players around the league."

Whether the 6-foot-5, 300-pound tackle is chasing down a screen pass or delivering a speech to the team, he's playing a crucial role on a Raiders defense currently allowing the 11th-fewest total yards per game (316.9) and eighth-fewest passing yards per game (180.1) in the NFL. Additionally, the Raiders are holding opponents to a 28.9 percent conversion rate on third down, the second-best mark in the league and the Raiders' best mark over the first seven games of a season since 2001 (25.0 percent).

As Pierce phrased it, Adam Butler has been "a spark plug" for the Silver and Black.

"I just don't take it for granted, I really don't," Butler said. "I understand that this time is short-lived, and it's limited. I know that there's going to come a day when I'm going to have to hang it up and kiss football goodbye pretty much. I just want to soak up every moment that I can while at the same time, do the best that I can to help the team win."

View the best photos from the Raiders' Week 7 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium.

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