It hasn’t been the big year that defensive end Maxx Crosby was likely hoping for, but the Las Vegas Raiders star is still making a major impact. He only has 5.0 sacks on the season, but he’s third in the NFL with 13 tackles for loss.
He remains one of the best run-stopping defensive linemen in the NFL despite not getting after the quarterback as much. However, former Denver Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib recently called out Crosby because the Raiders’ run defense as a whole has played poorly at times.
Crosby heard the noise, and he went after the former cornerback for not knowing what he was talking about.
“You can’t get mad at somebody that’s uneducated in the situation. … I don’t even have to defend myself,” Crosby said on “The Rush” podcast. “Go look up the numbers, go look up the tape, go watch me play a football game, go watch the game I played on Thursday.
Crosby noted that he actually met Talib at a gym that he owned in Texas while he was still in college, so he was disappointed the former cornerback would disrespect his game.
“I (expletive) with Aqib Talib. Like he’s a dog,” Crosby said.” And so, looking forward at this situation, having him come and say that (expletive) … he could have an opinion about whatever. He doesn’t know what the (expletive) he’s talking about.”
Crosby Not Getting a Lot of Help
It’s fair to criticize the Raiders’ defense. They have been very inconsistent this season. One week, they’ll give no resistance to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the next week, they’ll completely shut down the Broncos.
The defensive line hasn’t been doing much of anything outside of Crosby. The Raiders have just 18 sacks on the season. Crosby can only do so much on his own. This might be the least amount of help he’s had in his career. His numbers would likely be bigger if he had more help. His best season came in 2023 when the Raiders’ defense was one of the best in the NFL.
Crosby Named Raiders’ MVP So Far
There aren’t many players who have played well for the Raiders this season. Brock Bowers has had a couple of big games, but he missed time due to an injury. Ashton Jeanty has shown flashes, but has been inconsistent.
ESPN picked a non-QB MVP for every team in the NFL, and Crosby was the pick for Las Vegas.
“This shouldn’t come as a surprise, of course. Even though Crosby currently has a career-low pressure rate (9.3%), he has still been the Raiders’ best player,” Ryan McFadden wrote. “He has totaled 28 pressures, 13 quarterback hits and 5 sacks. He also has the third-most tackles for loss (13) in the league. Crosby’s best performance this season came in Week 4 against the Bears. In that game, he totaled 5 tackles (3 for loss), 3 passes deflected, 1 forced fumble and an interception.”
Crosby was the obvious pick, and he would’ve been the pick even if quarterbacks were part of it. He’s a great player, but he really needs more help.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Raiders DE Maxx Crosby Rips Into Aqib Talib: ‘Go Look up the Tape’ appeared first on Heavy Sports.