The Las Vegas Raiders will be without their best player on offense and defense Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.
Coach Antonio Pierce said Friday that defensive end Maxx Crosby (ankle) and wide receiver Davante Adams (hamstring) won’t play in Week 4. Tight end Michael Mayer will also miss the game for personal reasons, according to Pierce.
While the Raiders officially ruled Adams out on the injury report, Crosby was listed as doubtful, leaving a sliver of hope he suits up despite Pierce saying he won’t play.
Crosby rarely misses a snap, let alone an entire game. However, the engine of the Raiders defense played just 81.4% of the snaps in the disappointing Week 3 loss to Carolina while dealing with the ankle issue. Sunday would mark the first game of his six-year career that Crosby will miss.
Absent Crosby, the Raiders defense will be without its biggest punch. Crosby leads the Raiders with three sacks, five tackles for loss and five QB hits this season. The rest of the team has two sacks, five TFLs and seven QB hits combined. Crosby owning 50.0 percent of the team’s TFL is the highest share in the NFL.
Likewise, Adams’ absence is a massive blow for Gardner Minshew and the offense. The three-time All-Pro has 18 receptions (T-8th in NFL) and 209 receiving yards (T-13th) this season. He’s tied with Brock Bowers for most Raiders catches and leads the club in receiving yards in 2024.
The Pro Bowler’s absence, along with Mayer missing action, should increase the targets for Bowers and Jakobi Meyers this week against a Cleveland Browns club that also enters the week banged up.
