Sunday, the Raiders won their third straight to reach a 6-4 record on the season. None of them were convincing wins, not even this one against the 0-9 Bengals. But what matters is who came out with the W.

Pulling out one-score wins like this requires clutch performances. The Raiders got a few of those Sunday.

Top Baller: DE Maxx Crosby

Four. Sacks. Not much else needs to be said about that. It was the most sacks in a game by a Raider since Khalil Mack had five sacks in a game back in 2015.

Crosby’s first sack was a strip-sack that Maurice Hurst recovered for the Raiders. A fumble on the ensuing Raiders’ possession would lead to a touchdown drive by the Bengals to go up 7-0. The next Bengals possession ended with a three-and-out, Crosby pressured QB Ryan Finley to force an incompletion.

A late first-half drive, the Bengals were approaching scoring range, and Crosby was held. They would miss a 53-yard field goal attempt to go into the half with a 14-7 Raiders lead.

The Raiders were holding onto a 14-10 lead to begin the 4th quarter, and on the first play, Crosby drove right through left tackle John Jerry to sack Finley for a second time.

On the ensuing drive, the Raiders would extend the lead to 17-10. Plays of 17 and 16 yards would put the Bengals at the Oakland 44-yard-line. And here came Crosby again to put them back in their own territory with a 9-yard sack. Two plays later, he pressured Finley resulting in a stop for no gain. The drive ended two plays later with a turnover on downs.

With 1:54 remaining, the Bengals needed to drive 80 yards for a touchdown. On the first play, Crosby shot into the backfield to get his fourth sack. On 2nd and 19, Finley threw deep and was picked off to end the game.

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