Baller: DE Maxx Crosby
Crosby missed just three snaps in this game. He has become the one guy on that defensive line who the Raiders can’t take out of the game regardless of the situation. They want him on that line. They need him on that line. And you’re goddamn right he ordered that code red.
Anyway, as has been the case a lot lately, the rookie edge rusher was one of the few things that was really working for the Raiders, especially on the defense. Despite being selected 102 spots after the first Raiders rookie edge rusher.
He is the team sack leader (7.5) but plays the run equally well. He had a run stop on the Chiefs’ first drive, and on the Chiefs’ third drive, he perfectly played an end-around to stop Tyreek Hill for a 4-yard loss. The drive ended on the next play.
On the first play of the next drive, he got a QB pressure leading to an incompletion. A few plays later, he got another QB pressure. Two plays after that, he had another run stuff for a loss. Unfortunately between those plays, his defensive teammates were giving up chunk plays and the Chiefs drove for their second touchdown of the day.
Crosby would help to hold the first drive of the third quarter to a field goal when he was held at the line on third down. The penalties offset by a Trayvon Mullen holding but instead of an automatic first down, they replayed third down and didn’t convert.
By the start of the 4th quarter, the Chiefs were up 31-3, but Crosby only knows one speed and regardless of the game being out of reach, he was going to play at the same level. On the first two plays, he had his third tackle for loss and yet another QB pressure. But the Chiefs just kept churning out yards and bleeding clock until the were in the end zone again. Credit for trying, Maxx.
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