Let’s face it, Las Vegas Raiders fans have had enough. Regardless of who you want to blame, Maxx Crosby knows it falls on the team to deliver on Sundays. Sure, a majority of the fanbase has turned on head coach Josh McDaniels following the debacle in Chicago this past weekend, but players still play—a responsibility that Crosby keenly acknowledged.
Despite getting back to a respectable 3-3 record, something about the record just wasn’t convincing many. Add on the observations made by star wideout Davante Adams, and some were wondering if winning just wasn’t enough. Well, as it turns out, there’s more to it—especially when you’re blown out by the “supposed” worst team in the NFL. Perhaps the quality of the Raiders’ wins ended up proving that the Raiders weren’t very good to begin with.
Raiders fans are probably in agreement with Maxx Crosby’s sentiments…
At the same time, to put out such a lackluster effort is concerning—oh, and let’s be frank, no one on the team showed up on Sunday. Crosby said it best after the game when he called it “s*** football.” Overall, the effort just wasn’t there in any facet of the game—offense, defense, or even the special teams.
“We didn’t play [well] enough in any phase… It’s about doing your job to the best level you possibly can on a play-to-play basis, and that’s the focus every single day. Not only for myself but for our D-Line, our defense, and our offense in general, we have to play better complementary football. It just wasn’t good enough; it was literally an embarrassment.”
Look, believe it or not, if the Raiders can walk out of Monday night with a win, they’d be .500 again. At the same time, when do you start bringing up the draft position for 2024? Even if the Raiders squeak to seven, maybe eight wins, what does that accomplish, exactly? On the other side of the spectrum, veterans such as Crosby and Adams not only want to badly win, but win right now. How do you do that with a head coach who can’t appear to get out of his own way? Facing the Detroit Lions could quickly send this season into a spiral, if it hasn’t already.
*Top Photo: NFL Network