With three tackles for loss on Sunday, Raiders DE Maxx Crosby hit a couple milestones, joining some Hall of Fame level players.
Though the Raiders would lose their seventh straight game Sunday, Maxx Crosby did his best to keep them in it. And in so doing, he notched an impressive three tackles for loss.
Crosby has led the NFL in tackles for loss each of the past two seasons and his multi-TFL day kept him near the top in the stat this season as well. He sits at 14 now, which is tied for second behind only Danielle Hunter (15) for the league lead.
“For me I truly pride myself on being the most complete player I can possibly be,” Crosby said. “Regardless…I think it’s four games now I haven’t had a sack. And I feel like I’m rushing at my best, you know what I mean? That’s just how it goes sometimes. That’s part of the game. But for me, being disruptive on all downs is what it’s all about.”
It was the ninth time in his six-year career Crosby had put up at least three tackles for loss in a game. Only Steelers DE TJ Watt (11) has more in that span.
With his first tackle for loss, Crosby reached 100 for his career. It was his 93rd NFL game, making him the third fastest to reach the milestone in NFL history, tying him with Von Miller and behind only JJ Watt (64) and Aaron Donald 81.
“It means a lot [to have the record]. I know last game I saw someone put up a graphic because I had that one tackle and they didn’t give me a TFL. . . I knew I had to get a few and it definitely was on my mind. Being up there with guys like Aaron Donald, TJ Watt, Von Miller. Being among those names it means a lot. I’m a football historian, I keep up on all that. It’s all about goals and improving and how I can improve my teammates and help them get better.”
Crosby passed Demarcus Ware (101) for the third most tackles for loss in his first six seasons in the NFL. He is still 15 behind Aaron Donald (117) for the next slot and 31 behind JJ Watt (133), so it looks like third most is where Crosby will stay. But to be right behind a Hall of Famer in such a key stat is still something to be proud of.
Had he successfully caught Nix with his leg, Crosby would have received a 15-yard penalty for tripping.
Nix finished the game with 273 passing yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers in a 29-19 win. Crosby totaled five tackles — including three behind the line — and one quarterback hit, but he did not record any sacks. That snapped Crosby’s 10-game streak of totaling at least one sack against the Broncos.
“I’m glad I’m at an organization that has that,” Bo Nix said of the Broncos’ passionate fan base.
It didn’t feel like a road game when the Denver Broncos faced the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Denver fans could be heard chanting “Let’s go Broncos!” during the game, and the stadium was covered in orange in Week 12. Many of the traveling Denver fans moved down to the lower bowl toward the end of the game.
After a 29-19 victory, Broncos quarterback Bo Nix was full of praise for the team’s fans.
“[There was] a lot of orange in that stadium,” Nix said in his post-game press conference. “When you can go on the road and you see a lot of your fans, it’s almost half, they’re cheering, it almost turns into a neutral environment. That’s good. When you take that chaos and the noise and the atmosphere, when you can kind of relieve that from your team, it’s really important. When we do make good plays, when we do have explosives or have turnovers, it almost turns into a mini home game.
“But it’s good to see that we have great fan bases. Good to see that they travel well. Good to see that even though we’ve had some hiccups throughout the season, they’re still right behind us. Now we’re going on a two-game winning streak. It’s crazy how it can flip. The crowd and the atmosphere is a big advantage, as they’ve showed, as they’ve proven. We’re always going to need that. I’m glad I’m at an organization that has that.”
Nix and Co. will now return home to host the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Footballin Week 13. Fans in Denver will give the Broncos an even warmer welcome when they play at Empower Field at Mile High next week.
“Credit Vegas,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said. “They came out and had some fire about ’em. But they lost.”
Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton was pumped up following a 29-19 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday afternoon. After the game, CBS cameras showed Payton pumping his arms and getting hyped up with linebacker Justin Strnad.
Payton was clearly pleased with his players in his post-game press conference.
“I said this to them: The elite teams in 17 regular-season games will be really ready-ready for 13 or 14 of those games,” Payton said. “The ones that are not, they still find a way to win. They may lose a few, but they find a way still.
“I said to them today, our team a year ago doesn’t win this game. But this team did. You build some grit. We won the turnover battle again. We were the better team today. We didn’t always play like it, but we’ll get those things cleaned up.”
With the win, Denver snapped an eight-game road losing streak to the Raiders (four games in Las Vegas and four games in Oakland).
“Credit Vegas,” Payton said. “They came out and had some fire about ’em. But they lost.”
Broncos QB Bo Nix was not backing down from Raiders DE Tyree Wilson!
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix went viral during Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders after he exchanged words with defensive lineman Tyree Wilson.
Nix got “crazy eyes” and it appeared that he told Wilson he doesn’t fear anything.
“Bo Nix just explored Tyree Wilson’s soul with one look,” Jordan Dajani wrote on social media.
Ted Nguyen speculated that based on the reaction of Nix and the official, “Wilson must have said something foul.”
Broncos fans loved Nix’s reaction.
“Bo Nix might be the best QB in this draft…he might also be a complete psychopath….and I love it,” Tim Wenz wrote on Twitter/X.
“The kids got a little Phillip Rivers in him. And that’s not a bad thing,” another fan commented.
The QB has received overwhelming support for the heated exchange, with one pundit chiming in: “Bo Nix has crazy eyes. Tom Brady has crazy eyes. Coincidence?”
The video has gone viral on social media with millions of views on Twitter/X. Nix finished the game with 273 passing yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers in a 29-19 win on the road.
The Broncos got a big win over the Raiders on Sunday. Here are five quick takeaways.
The Denver Broncos defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 29-19 on the road on Sunday, improving to 7-5 on the season. Here are five quick takeaways from Denver’s big win in the AFC West.
1. Good luck predicting the backfield rotation: Two weeks ago, it was the Audric Estime show. Last week, Javonte Williams led the way. On Sunday, Jaleel McLaughlin led the Broncos’ backfield with 44 rushing yards, although he did get one less carry than Williams. It’s truly a three-headed backfield. That might be frustrating for fantasy football managers, but it’s working for Denver’s offense.
2. Maxx Crosby was held without a sack: Mike McGlinchey had a few penalties early in the game, but overall, he did well against one of the AFC’s best pass rushers. Crosby ended the day without a sack, snapping a 10-game streak against the Broncos of recording at least one sack.
3. Zach Allen was missed: Denver’s defensive line — and the entire defense — missed Allen, who was sidelined with a heel injury. Before the game, Allen was spotted in a walking boot. The team’s Week 14 bye can’t arrive soon enough.
4. Courtland Sutton is on a tear: Over the last five games, Sutton has hauled in 36 receptions for 467 yards and three touchdowns. He’s on pace to post a career high in receptions (81) this fall with 1,054 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. He has been Mr. Reliable for rookie QB Bo Nix.
5. Speaking of Bo Nix: He’s on pace to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Jayden Daniels has more total yards (3,169) than Nix (2,848), but Nix has more total touchdowns (21) than Daniels (17). Nix has been red-hot in recent weeks and if he keeps this up, accolades will follow at the end of the season.
The Broncos trolled the Raiders with three funny tweets after their first-ever win in Las Vegas.
The Denver Broncos defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 29-19 on the road on Sunday, marking Denver’s first-ever win at Allegiant Stadium. The Broncos were 0-4 in Las Vegas going into Sunday’s game. Overall, Denver had lost eight-straight road games against the Raiders (four in Las Vegas and four in Oakland) before snapping that losing streak in Week 12.
Following the big win, the Broncos have now swept the Raiders in 2024 after previously beating them 34-18 at home earlier this season. After completing the sweep, Denver trolled its division rival with a trio of funny tweets on Twitter/X.
First up is a tweet from the team’s Español account: “When you win in Vegas, but you’re a chill guy,” a reference to the latest meme sweeping social media.
Murray’s comeback season hit a snag. Drake Maye bounced off the Miami defense. And the Texans refuse to fix C.J. Stroud.
Week 12 was a week of moral victories for some of the NFL’s most hyped young quarterbacks. Caleb Williams and Bryce Young played some of the best football of their respective pro careers, albeit in close losses. That should be enough to sustain the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers, respectively, for at least one more week.
Other young QBs weren’t as lucky. C.J. Stroud and Drake Maye each struggled in losses to division rivals. Anthony Richardson was let down by penalties, pressure and drops in a game that looked significantly worse on the box score than it did in real time. But were any of these three passers the most disappointing quarterback of Week 12?
Fortunately, we’ve got a metric that can help figure that out.
Using the advanced stat expected points added (EPA) can gauge how much a quarterback brings to the table compared to a typical player. By comparing each passer’s Week 12 EPA against their 2024 average to date we get a better picture of just how frustrating their performances were. And we can find both of those thanks to The Athletic’s Ben Baldwin and his incredibly useful stats sites RBSDM.com and HabitatRing.com.
This is a metric that gauges disappointment based on what we’d typically expect. Will Levis had a negative EPA in Week 12, but that was an improvement over his typical negative performance so he missed the list. Who was the worst? There were several candidates but only one man can truly call himself the grossest quarterback of Week 12.
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5. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
2024 expected points added (EPA) per game: -1.1
Week 12 EPA: -7
Difference: 5.9 points worse
Well, this is a bummer. Stroud’s backsliding 2024 has left low expectations as the season wears on without him realizing his 2023 potential. On Sunday, he continued plumbing the depths of his brief NFL career in a 32-27 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. That included nearly Dan Orlovsky-ing his way out the back of the end zone en route to a game-sealing safety.
Stroud has just sorta been a mess this season. He’s been left to languish in the pocket even as his pressure and blitz rates increase behind a shaky offensive line. Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik has had zero impetus to dial up quick routes or play-action passes to help create easy gains or room in the pocket. Instead, he’s opted to let Stroud try and do entirely too much, with predictable results.
That leaves Stroud as a bottom-10 quarterback and the Texans at 7-5 after a 5-1 start. Houston will still likely claim the AFC South title because the division is a mess. But unless things change and Slowik can rebuild Stroud’s value as a passer this will be a one-and-done Texans team come the postseason.
He was better on a per-play basis than Desmond Ridder, -0.25 EPA/play to -0.44 EPA/play. The bad news: Ridder entered the game thanks to an injury that took Minshew out of the lineup and gave Ridder the chance to show the world how he *still* holds on to the ball too long in the pocket.
Minshew suffered what’s reported to be a broken collarbone in the loss. Thus begins the legend of “Daniel Jones, Las Vegas Raider.”
I can dream, right?
3. Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts
Grace Hollars/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
2024 expected points added (EPA) per game: -1.8
Week 12 EPA: -8.8
Difference: 7.0 points worse
Richardson showcased all the tools that made him the fourth overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft last week. He threw for 272 yards and ran for 32 more en route to three total touchdowns in a win over the New York Jets.
In Week 12, the box score suggests he’d gone back to the erratic gunslinger who’d necessitated his own benching earlier in the season. Richardson completed just 11 of 28 passes and failed to find the end zone. Except, well, he doesn’t deserve all the blame for this one.
Anthony Richardson today:
-Short TD dropped by Andrew Ogletree -Ashton Dulin fails to get both feet inbounds on deep dime down the sideline for 40+ yards -Additional 30, 21, 21, and 7 yard gains nullified by penalty
Richardson had big gains wiped out by drops, penalties and generally underwhelming situational awareness. Top target Josh Downs got hurt. Jonathan Taylor averaged 3.2 yards per carry. Basically, everything that could go wrong did, with the exception of turnovers.
Every Anthony Richardson incompletion from the broadcast. A lot of pressure. A lot of throwaways. A lot of miscommunications. And a bad drop.
Richardson was still the losing quarterback of record. Accuracy remains a concern. But Sunday’s poor performance cannot be laid solely at his feet when so many of those incompletions were drops, throwaways out of a bad situation or other excusable misses. He got dealt a bad hand here.
2. Drake Maye, New England Patriots
Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images
2024 expected points added (EPA) per game: -0.9
Week 12 EPA: -10.9
Difference: 10 points worse
Maye had outplayed his low baseline over the last month, leading to hope his Patriots could travel to Miami and take care of the Dolphins on the road. Instead, he trailed 24-0 at the half. While this helped further the idea of a high draft pick to charge up 2025’s rebuild, it was a rough sled for a young quarterback against a good, but not elite, passing defense.
The rookie turned the ball over twice for an offense that managed seven total points (eight more came via fumble return touchdown). He had a very nice and partially stupid deep touchdown throw to Austin Hooper. Granted this was on 4th-and-15 in garbage time, but it’s still something.
Unfortunately, that was the only one of seven throws 15-plus yards downfield that Maye completed. Only two of his 22 completions went more than 10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. After a handful of solid performances, regression came for the rookie all at once in south Florida.
1. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
2024 expected points added (EPA) per game: 2.8
Week 12 EPA: -7.4
Difference: 10.2 points worse
Murray’s first full season back from a torn ACL has been a triumph. Unfortunately, it hit a speed bump in Week 12 — and took the Cardinals’ spot atop the NFC West down with it.
Murray was mostly inoffensive Sunday, racking up too many negative plays and too few explosive ones. His lone turnover came on fourth down — a bad pass on a blown up play that resulted in the worst possible outcome.
The dual-threat quarterback ran for only nine yards. He took as many sacks (five) as he had completions that traveled more than nine yards downfield. His offense failed to find the end zone. Murray was just sort of a mess when asked to throw to his right (five of 13, 47 yards, one interception)
via habitatring.com
By those powers combined and the strength of his 2024 to date, Murray earned this week’s top spot.
Broncos CB Riley Moss is dealing with a knee injury. Here are the latest updates.
Story update: Broncos CB Riley Moss (knee) missed all three days of practice this week and has been ruled out for a Monday Night Football clash with the Cleveland Browns in Week 13. See our original post below.
Denver Broncos second-year cornerback Riley Moss left Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders with a knee injury in the second quarter and was later ruled out in the third quarter. We will be tracking Moss injury updates on this page in the coming days.
Riley Moss injury update
After the game, Broncos coach Sean Payton indicated that it does not appear to be a serious injury. “Fortunately, it wasn’t really serious with Riley,” Payton said after a 29-19 win. “It’s an MCL. I’m not going to give anything. We’ll see how next week is. There was some thought he could go back in. We’ll see where it’s at.” That’s certainly a positive update.
How long will Riley Moss be out?
The fact that the team considered putting Moss back in the game on Sunday seems like a very good sign, but it remains to be seen if he will be available to play against the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football in Week 13. We’ll know more about Moss’ status when the team returns to practice later this week and begins releasing injury updates.
Broncos cornerback depth chart
Levi Wallace filled in for Moss against the Raiders and he would likely start if Moss has to miss any games. Wallace and Pat Surtain played as the team’s outside cornerbacks with Ja’Quan McMillian playing in the slot. Denver also has Damarri Mathis, Tremon Smith and Kris Abrams-Draine at cornerback.
Moss, 24, has eight pass breakups and one interception this season.
