On a quiet night with points at a premium, the Raiders depended on Maxx Crosby and their defense to score a 17-13 win over the Packers on Monday night.
Crosby wreaked havoc on a battered Green Bay offensive line, forcing quarterback Jordan Love into an increasingly jumpy mindset while tallying five tackles (four for loss), four pressures, three run stuffs and a sack to lead Las Vegas to victory during the defense’s best performance of the season.
“Maxx Crosby demonstrates remarkable consistency,” Josh McDaniel commented during his postgame news conference, responding to a question about Crosby’s performance. “His daily effort and dedication are commendable. He pays attention to every minute detail related to the team, his teammates, his health, and the practice. He always gives his best effort and is always on the field, as you’re aware. He is an outstanding leader,” he added.
A month into the season, the Raiders were known for their tenacity but were not outperforming expectations. Before Monday’s game, they were ranked 23rd in terms of points allowed, having conceded eight touchdowns via passing and an average of 134.3 rushing yards per game.
Crosby was aware of the narrative entering the situation. He identified a prime-time competition as the ideal platform to change the course of the story.
“We accomplished that,” he conveyed to ESPN’s Lisa Salters. “This is my year-round activity. I adore it. It’s my life’s essence. This is my true calling. It felt terrific to secure a victory for our fans, right here in our home stadium. There’s truly nothing superior,” he expressed.
Despite the Packers’ efforts to silence Crosby by either directing Love’s pocket away from him or using a double team to impede him, the two-time Pro Bowler still made his presence known frequently and early on.
His four QB pressures tied for the team lead with Malcolm Koonce, who benefited from the attention paid to Crosby before exiting the game with a knee injury. And his four tackles for loss were made all the more impressive by the fact that the rest of Las Vegas combined for just one.
It was Crosby’s 19th career game with multiple tackles for loss, second most in the NFL since 2019 behind only the Steelers’ T.J. Watt (21), per NFL Research.
Crosby, who now has four more sacks than any other teammate, delivered his fifth of the season at a crucial time. The Packers had scored on consecutive second-half drives and were again in Raiders territory, trailing, 17-13, when Crosby’s takedown of Love moved them back 7 yards to the 47. It halted momentum, and when Love tried to get it all back on the next play, a poor pass ended up tipped and in the hands of Robert Spillane for the linebacker’s second pick of the day.
“Crosby informed Salters that he interprets teams making plans for him as a personal matter,” he said. “Everything I undertake has a personal touch. I constantly strive to exceed expectations to validate my value. I attempt to make a statement every single day when I show up here.”
Other Raiders followed his lead after he made his point emphatically.
The response came most notably defending the pass. Love entered with six touchdowns and no interceptions on the road, while Las Vegas had only managed one interception during September. It flipped the script — first on the abovementioned Spillane picks, and then again when Amik Robertson ended the game on an end-zone pick with under a minute remaining.
Robertson’s heroics became necessary after the Raiders chose to kick a 52-yard field goal on fourth-and-2 at the two-minute warning. Daniel Carlson missed, and Green Bay received the ball near midfield needing a TD to win.
Despite occasionally faltering during the night, letting the Packers make a pair of first downs to reach the Las Vegas 35-yard line, the defense ultimately performed as a strong unit should and delivered a decisive blow.
While the Raiders continue to seek their offensive rhythm, Crosby and Co. have given them an opportunity to find it with a game below .500, instead of three.
Crosby stated, “As I mentioned before, we view it as a personal challenge when our defense is criticized. People have been saying that our defense is our weakest aspect, which is why we all feel deeply about it. We strive to improve each day and I believe we are making progress. Although there is still much room for improvement, I think we have made a promising start.”
