Does Maxx Crosby get the national love he deserves? The Las Vegas Raiders defense should get most of the credit for the 17-13 win over the Green Bay Packers on “Monday Night Football.”
Nonetheless, the primetime game again served as a reminder that Crosby is really good. “Mad Maxx” earned AFC Player of the Week honors, making franchise history. However, a couple of Pro Football Focus stats show that the two-time Pro Bowler is on a rampage this 2023 NFL season. With that being said, let’s dive into how dominant the Raiders star has been through five games for the Silver and Black.
Only Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson beats Maxx Crosby in pressures
Crosby is getting to the quarterback and making life miserable for anyone under center. The Eastern Michigan product has five sacks through five games. However, PFF recently provided some stats on “Mad Maxx” that show he’s on another level.
The first stat surrounds total pressures, of which Crosby has 34. Furthermore, there’s only one player with the edge rusher beat on this stat: the Detroit Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson. This stat also shows that the Raiders star is ahead of names like Nick Bosa and Myles Garrett.
Crosby also has 28 total tackles, eight of them for a loss, and seven quarterback hits through five games for Las Vegas. The question now is whether he can sustain this for the entire season and put together a campaign to win the Defensive Player of the Year award.
What do you think, Raiders fans? Is Crosby prime to get that national media love and win his first Defensive Player of the Year honor? What are your thoughts so far on his 2023 season? Let us know.
Is the Raiders defense still Maxx Crosby and everyone else?
The concern over the Las Vegas defense is whether it’s just Crosby and company. A PFF stat does show that Crosby accounts for 42.5 percent of total pressures on the Raiders’ defense this season. “Madd Maxx” has 34 of 80 total pressures produced by the Silver and Black this season.
Las Vegas’ defense showed this past Monday that they can help Crosby. Robert Spillane had two interceptions of Jordan Love, and Amik Robertson had the game-sealing pick to give the Raiders the win. Now, is this a one-off game or a sign of things to come?
Crosby will draw much attention from the opposition; can others on the defensive line take advantage? Also, can the linebacker and secondary units look for interceptions or defended passes when a quarterback is under pressure due to Crosby?
These next games against the New England Patriots and Chicago Bears could be a confidence booster for the defense. They’ll face signal-callers who are at a crossroads in their young careers. If the Las Vegas defense wants to show they’re more than just Crosby, these two games will be crucial.
*Top Photo: NBC Sports
