Raiders need Maxx Crosby to finish the season strong

If the Las Vegas Raiders’ struggling defense is going to make some strides in the last two games of the season, they will need a resurgence from standout pass rusher Maxx Crosby.

The second-year defensive end hasn’t had a sack in the past five games, and has only totally six sacks on the season. Crosby, a fourth-round pick in 2019, had 10 sacks last season as a rookie. He currently has 33 tackles total in 2020 after having 47 tackles in 2019.

Crosby has played a ton this season and has racked up a lot of work and it may be showing:

Last Friday, Raiders coach Jon Gruden was asked if he thought Crosby may be wearing down a bit and Gruden had an interesting answer.

“He’s probably getting a little worn down and he’s getting a lot of attention,” Gruden said. “Getting chipped, getting the tight end that way to nudge him on the way out. It’s been tough for him. We haven’t had a real consistent inside rush, which is tough on edge rushers. That’s an area we need to improve, but I love Crosby. I love his effort and he’s got a great amount of football character. He’s going to be a really good Raider for years to come.”

There is no doubt Crosby should be part of the long-term plan in Las Vegas. But the Raiders need to help him with more pass rushers and a dominant defensive tackle never hurts, either.

If the Raiders get better around Crosby. he will have a chance to play a little less and perhaps be more effective over the course of a full season.