Tag: Maxx Crosby

Maxx Crosby ‘fired up’ to work with new Raiders DT Christian Wilkins

Maxx Crosby ‘fired up’ to work with new Raiders DT Christian Wilkins

The Raiders made arguably the largest free agent splash signing in the NFL when they inked defensive tackle Christian Wilkins to a four-year deal.

Part of the reason for all of the fuss was, of course, Wilkins and his elite talent. Another reason league observers couldn’t stop talking about the signing was Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby.

Wilkins and Crosby are seemingly a match made in heaven along the defensive front, as Crosby patrols the edge and Wilkins is a beast up the middle. Crosby told reporters on Monday that he and Wilkins have to hit the practice field before their potential can turn into results.

“Potential is one thing. Action is another,” Crosby said from the Raiders practice facility. “For us, it’s about the work. We have a ton of work to do. Me and Christian haven’t played a single snap together. We haven’t done a single rep together.”

Crosby mentioned that he’s known Wilkins for a long time and admired his game from afar. They were in the same draft class and have a mutual friend in former Raiders DE Clelin Ferrell, who attended Clemson with Wilkins.

“I’ve said it many times. Christian is a great player,” Crosby said. “I think everything happens for a reason, and I’m fired up to get to work with him. He was here today and had a ton of energy, fired up and ready to go. I know that energy is infectious and that’s something that I try to bring; that’s something he tries to bring. We just want to try to bring everybody with us because at the end of the day, you win and lose games in the trenches. If you have a dominant D-line and O-line, you’re going to be in every single game.

“We’re banking on that. We take a lot of pride in that. And we’re looking forward to being the engine and the generator for this team.”

Crosby and Wilkins are both known for their infectious energy, as Crosby mentions. Most importantly for the Raiders, they carry that energy to the field. Each player was among the league leaders for snaps played among defensive linemen, with Crosby sitting at No. 1.

That will help Crosby, Wilkins, and the entire defense build that group’s spectacular close to the 2023 campaign. The mission for coach Antonio Pierce and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is to build on last season’s success. It’s good for them that Crosby, an unquestioned team leader, knows that talent alone won’t get it done.

Raiders DE Maxx Crosby fully recovered from knee injury ‘I’m not like everybody else’

Despite offseason knee surgery Maxx Crosby is ready to go to start offseason workouts ‘I’m not like everybody else’

Today is the first day of Raiders offseason workouts. And if you had any doubt as to whether Maxx Crosby would be ready for them, you don’t know Maxx Crosby.

Late last season, Crosby suffered a knee injury that put him in the hospital and had him listed as doubtful one week. That week was the game against the rival Chiefs.

Crosby not only started that game — helping the Raiders hand the Chiefs their last loss of the year before going on their Super Bowl run — but Crosby started the rest of the games in the season as well.

But make no mistake, this was a serious knee injury.

“I was definitely banged up,” Crosby said. “My knee was an issue, but I was able to play. I definitely don’t want to do that again and go through that – draining it multiple times every week – it was a pain in the ass. But we made it through, so it was even more motivation when people were like ‘shut it down, shut it down, shut it down.’ I was like naw, I’m not like everybody else, to be completely honest. I just had to keep moving.”

Immediately following the season, Crosby had two surgeries — one on his knee and one on his hand.

At the time, I mentioned that most players you’d almost expect wouldn’t see normal activities until training camp. But that it wouldn’t surprise me one bit to see Maxx not miss a day of the offseason activities.

And here we are on the very first day of offseason workouts and Crosby is ready to go.

“Recovery and rehab has been incredible,” Crosby continued. “Just did my conditioning tests last week and smashed it. And I’m feeling better than I ever have, so it’s been an incredible offseason so far.”

So, there you have it. Maxx is back. Or rather, he never left. Like, literally.

Aaron Donald retires with most pressures in NFL since 2018 but Maxx Crosby isn’t far behind

Aaron Donald’s pressure numbers are incredible. Maxx Crosby being just 3 spots behind him is astounding for two crucial reasons.

Today Aaron Donald delivered the stunning news that he is retiring from the NFL after ten seasons. It’s an announcement he has teased for a couple years now, but still comes as somewhat of a shock considering he is clearly still at the top of the NFL hierarchy at age 32.

How dominant has Aaron Donald been? And I don’t mean over his entire career. I mean lately.

While Pro Bowls and All Pros tell the story of how he is easily the best interior defender of his era — and possibly of all time — his pressure numbers top all players, including edge rushers whose job is literally in the title.

According to Next Gen Stats, since 2018, Donald has faced more double teams (117) than any other player in the league by a pretty considerable margin.

  1. Aaron Donald — 117
  2. Jonathan Allen 84
  3. Chris Jones 81
  4. Leonard Williams 71
  5. DeForest Buckner 70

And yet he still leads the NFL pressures. And one name in the top five may surprise you.

  1. Aaron Donald 472
  2. Myles Garrett 454
  3. TJ Watt 388
  4. Maxx Crosby 362
  5. Khalil Mack 362

Yeah, so hidden below Donald’s eye-popping dominance is the realization that Maxx Crosby has had the fourth most pressures in the NFL over the past six seasons. Tied with former Raiders edge rusher Khalil Mack.

Here’s the thing though — Crosby has only been in the NFL for five seasons.

This is compiled since 2018. Crosby came into the league in 2019. So, not only does everyone else on this list have their numbers compiled from one more season than Crosby, but he is the only one on the list whose numbers include his rookie season. All others have been in the league since at least 2017, so they were closer to their primes.

Just something worth noting.

Congrats to the most dominant defensive lineman — and possibly the great defender at any position — on an unreal ten-year career. A no-brainer first ballot Hall of Famer if there ever was one. And the kind of player who the Maxx Crosbys of the NFL can aspire to.

Maxx Crosby bids Josh Jacobs farewell ‘Nothing’s changed but the jersey’

Maxx Crosby bids Josh Jacobs heartfelt farewell ‘Nothing’s changed but the jersey’

Once a Raider, always a Raider. And for Maxx Crosby, once a brother, always a brother. And he just watched Raiders teammate and chosen brother Josh Jacobs agree to a deal to join the Green Bay Packers.

Today is a hard day for a lot of NFL players as they watch longtime teammates leave. For Maxx Crosby and Josh Jacobs, they’ve been teammates for their entire five-year careers. That ended today. But their friendship did not. Crosby took to twitter to send Jacobs a hearfelt goodbye.

“Love you for life, brother,” Crosby said to Jacobs. “Nothing’s changed but the jersey. We came in together with similar goals in mind and now look where we’re at. Green Bay got a great one.”

They weren’t just teammates for five years, they were draft classmates. Jacobs was the Raiders’ pick at 24 overall in the first round. Two days later, the Raiders selected Crosby at 105 overall in the fourth round.

Since then, they have been easily the most accomplished players from that 2019 draft. Both heading to multiple Pro Bowls and finding themselves among the Raiders franchise all time records through five seasons.

That earned Crosby a long term extension. It wasn’t enough to keep Jacobs around. The difference between playing a premium position like edge rusher and playing running back which sees its value dwindle year by year in the NFL.

That’s the business of football. But sometimes it’s important to remember these guys are human beings. And their passion is a big part of what makes them great.

Rich Eisen a big fan of Christian Wilkins joining Maxx Crosby on Raiders: ‘Unfair’

Rich Eisen big fan of ‘unfair’ pairing of Christian Wilkins and Maxx Crosby on Raiders

A lot of Raiders fans are super excited about the addition of Christian Wilkins. I have certainly made my feelings on the move clear. I love it. Had Wilkins as the top free agent on the market for the Raiders’ needs.

But if you don’t want to go with my opinion or those of Raider Nation, how about Rich Eisen?

The veteran NFL voice couldn’t say enough good things about the move by the Raiders and pairing him up with “the Condor,” Maxx Crosby.

Eisen got downright poetic while praising the Raiders for the move and imagining the havoc Wilkins and Crosby will create together.

He liked it particularly with regard to the Raiders attempting to accomplish their primary objective of ending the Chiefs’ stranglehold on the AFC West.

“Christian Wilkins requires a ton of attention to stop,” said Eisen. “He is a one-man wrecking machine. But just imagine what he can do with the Condor lined up to his left.

“Maxx Crosby next to Christian Wilkins sounds like an AFC Pro Bowl team,” he continued while also calling the duo “unfair” and lauding the move as “aggressive and smart.”

The Raiders still have many question marks — the quarterback position, for one. Clearly when Eisen recorded this, the news of the Raiders adding Gardner Minshew had not come out. But even if it had, Minshew is not the answer there.

And while the Chiefs dynasty largely surrounds QB Patrick Mahomes, they made Chris Jones a priority as well because they know how crucial having a dominant presence on the interior defensive line is along with consistent pressure on the opposing quarterback. The Raiders have at least checked that box. That’s a good start.

Raiders DE Maxx Crosby ranked as No. 11 player in NFL during 2023 season

Raiders DE Maxx Crosby ranked as No. 11 player in NFL during 2023 season

Maxx Crosby is like a fine wine. He just keeps getting better with age. Crosby had the best season of his career in 2023 and took his game to the next level.

Unfortunately, he plays in an era with some other elite pass rushers, including Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons, and T.J. Watt. That has led to him getting snubbed in the postseason awards. But that’s okay. Crosby has become a household name and is widely viewed as one of the best players on the planet.

In a recent article by Pro Football Focus, they ranked the top 101 players from the 2023 season. In no surprise at all, Crosby ranked inside the top 15, coming in at No. 11. Here is what the site had to say about the superstar pass rusher:

One of the most consistent edge rushers in the league, Crosby is also arguably the best run defender among that group. He racked up 94 total pressures over the season and posted a 92.7 PFF run-defense grade despite battling through a knee injury that resulted in some gruesome-looking swelling at times.

Crosby had multiple surgeries this offseason, but that didn’t stop him from being productive on the field. With Antonio Pierce staying on as the head coach and Malcolm Koonce’s emergence, Crosby is set up to have an even better 2024 season. And that should be terrifying for opposing quarterbacks.

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Raiders want to imitate Detroit Pistons ‘Jordan Rules’ to deal with Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes

Raiders emulating Detroit Pistons ‘Jordan Rules’ with Patrick Mahomes

Remembering the Raiders’ impressive win against the Super Bowl champion Chiefs on Christmas will help Raiders fans get through the long offseason. But if the Raiders want to become legit contenders, they’ll have to figure out how to beat the Chiefs on a regular basis.

That’s a tall task. Kansas City is led by the best quarterback in the NFL, Patrick Mahomes, who is squarely in his prime.

Before Christmas, coach Antonio Pierce used a tactic to motivate his team that he says he’ll keep using. He plans to emulate the Detroit Pistons’ method for dealing with the great Michael Jordan in the NBA, also known as the “Jordan Rules.”

Essentially, the Raiders want to be as physically rough with Mahomes as possible. That’s how the “Bad Boy” Pistons dealt with Jordan.

“We’ve got the Jordan Rules and we’ve got what I’m calling now as long as I’m here, the Patrick Mahomes Rules,” Pierce said on Maxx Crosby’s The Rush Podcast. “You remember when Jordan was going through it with the Pistons, all those guys in the ’80s before he became Air Jordan, the Pistons used to whip his [behind]. Any time he came to the hole: elbows, feeling him, love taps. We’re in his head, mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually.

“So I showed my guys Jordan getting his [tail] whooped, consistently.”

Pierce said he also showed his team clips of boxing and mixed martial arts fights to motivate his team to play the Chiefs on Christmas.

This isn’t the first connection between the Raiders and the Bad Boy Pistons, who won two NBA titles. Those Pistons, led by guard Isiah Thomas and center Bill Laimbeer, wore Raiders gear. They wanted to emulate the Raiders, who were then known as the bad boys of the NFL.

Of course, Jordan eventually got past the Pistons and won six NBA titles with the Bulls. But the Pistons made him work for it, defeating Jordan in the Eastern Conference Finals in each of their championship seasons.

The Raiders’ situation is a bit of a reversal. Mahomes has already won three NFL championships and appears poised to win more. The Raiders have to slow his stride as best they can.

It should help that the NFL is a physical sport, especially compared to the NBA. Even with rules to protect NFL quarterbacks, it’s still every team’s goal to hit the opposing QB as often as possible. Pierce’s “Patrick Mahomes Rules” should only help as the Raiders look to knock the Chiefs off their pedestal.

Steelers LB T.J. Watt among finalists for DPOY

Here are the five finalists for DPOY.

The names of the five finalists for AP Defensive Player of the Year were released on Thursday. Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt is among them. Despite leading the league in sacks for the third time in his career, Watt doesn’t seem to be getting much hype as a frontrunner. Here are the five finalists.

2024 Pro Bowl roster: Texans DE Will Anderson replaces injured Raiders DE Maxx Crosby

Texans DE Will Anderson replaces injured Maxx Crosby on Pro Bowl roster

Three weeks ago, Maxx Crosby was named to his third straight Pro Bowl. The first of those Pro Bowls was the last time the NFL actually held a contact football game. And Crosby won Defensive MVP. So, clearly Crosby knows just one speed, and doesn’t like to miss opportunities to suit up.

This time, however, the choice wasn’t really in his hands. Crosby dealt with a serious knee injury for last half of the season as well as a thumb injury. Those two injuries required immediate attention, so last week, he got the knee surgery done and the thumb surgery happened this week.

With Crosby laid up and preparing for next season, his part in the Pro Bowl games needed to be replaced.

The lucky recipient is Texans’ DE Will Anderson.

Anderson won the PFWA Rookie of the Year recently after a season in which he put up seven sacks, 22 QB hits, 10 tackles for loss, and 45 combined tackles.

See the 2024 Pro Bowl roster here.

Raiders P AJ Cole named to PFWA All-NFL Team, DE Maxx Crosby to All-AFC Team

Raiders P AJ Cole named to PFWA All-NFL Team, DE Maxx Crosby to All-AFC Team

As a member of the Pro Football Writers of America, I have a vote on their season awards. Two players who definitely got my vote for the All NFL and All AFC squads were DE Maxx Crosby and P AJ Cole.

The results are out and Cole made the All-NFL team on special teams while Crosby was named to the All-AFC Team on Defense.

Crosby made the All-AFC Team along with Browns DE Myles Garrett. But Crosby was snubbed for the All NFL team by Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson.

Since the Bengals are also in the AFC, it doesn’t really make much sense that Crosby was named to the All AFC Team, but somehow a different AFC defensive end made the All NFL Team.

Alternatively, if Trey Hendrickson is the best in the NFL, would he not also be considered best in the AFC? Make it make sense.

Either way, congrats to AJ Cole and Maxx Crosby on making their respective All-NFL and All-AFC squads.