Las Vegas Raiders interim coach Antonio Pierce thinks highly of Maxx Crosby; in fact, he has his vote for 2023 Defensive Player of the Year.
The fact that Crosby plays for Pierce certainly helps, but before you accuse the coach of playing favorites, No. 98 has made his own case. The fact that Crosby hasn’t played for a consistent winner has led many to believe it’s the reason he’s missed out on certain honors. Be it Defensive Player of the Year or any All-Pro nods, however, this season might be too difficult to ignore.
A quick look at the numbers shows the improvement from Maxx Crosby, building off a 2022 season that was nothing to scoff at. This year, Crosby has accumulated 13.5 sacks (surpassing 12.5 from all of last season), two pass deflections, and 19 tackles for a loss. With three more games left, it’s incredible to ponder how much more Crosby can add to his totals.
As far as Antonio Pierce goes, he knows better than any of us the impact his defensive captain has made thus far.
“I think that Maxx should be up for Defensive Player of the Year. He’s probably the best football player by far that I’ve seen defensively this year. And I’m not talking just about our team. Like, just watch; he’s dominating. So, we need another performance.”
Raiders coach Antonio Pierce on Maxx Crosby vs. the Chiefs
The last part of needing another performance from Crosby hits home. Even though Malcolm Koonce has quietly had a solid season and Tyree Wilson has quickly come along during this late run, No. 98 is the one that sets the pace. Pierce elaborated on that a little further.
“Maxx is going to be Maxx. He’s going to play; he’ll be fine. In a game, it’s Mad Maxx, right? Since I’ve been here, at least just watching him play, he’s had a play or two where he’s gotten to the quarterback. And we’re going to need more of that. But not even just that, just impacting the game from a run standpoint, disrupting the quarterback, disrupting [Travis] Kelce, putting stress on that offensive line.”
Though Crosby did record one sack against Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes back on November 26th, more will be needed on Monday. We all know Crosby will make his presence known at Christmas. The real question is whether the rest of the defense will show up.
As far as his campaign for Defensive Player of the Year goes, Crosby might be able to make some ground this week. He’s still behind the league leader in sacks, T.J. Watt (16), or former Raider Khalil Mack (15), who are still ahead of Crosby.
*Top Photo: Getty Images
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