‘He’s not at that top-five level…’ Bears insider delivers brutal put-down of Raiders star Maxx Crosby in live radio rant – leaving fans fuming as the defensive end who’s racked up 61.5 sacks is cruelly dismissed and forced to fight for respect - suong
The Las Vegas Raiders will look to do what the Dallas Cowboys couldn’t: generate pressure on Caleb Williams. Dallas recorded zero sacks, allowing the USC quarterback to easily slice apart their defense.
Williams finished with 298 passing yards and four touchdowns on 19 of 28 attempts, giving the Raiders’ defense a tough challenge if they want to contain the Bears’ star and earn a win. Maxx Crosby will be key in creating pressure and disrupting Williams’ rhythm.
During a segment on 670 The Score, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune was asked about how the Bears will go about protecting Williams from Crosby, leading to Biggs taking a subtle shot at the Raiders star.
“I don’t think we’ll see any more of [a six offensive linemen alignment],” Biggs said on the September 26 edition of the “Mully & Haugh Show.” “Maxx Crosby is a fun player to watch with the way he approaches the game.
“But let’s not put him in the same category as a couple of the other guys the Bears will face this season, like Myles Garrett or Micah Parsons—he’s not at that top-five level, in my opinion. Maybe we see a little of that with a lineman eligible, but no, I don’t think they would approach it that way. That would be very surprising to me.”
Where Does Raiders’ Maxx Crosby Rank Among Pass Rushers?
Crosby entered the league in 2019 and, since being drafted by the Raiders, the 28-year-old has recorded 61.5 sacks, ranking him sixth among defensive players, per
Perhaps it’s the lack of success that the Silver and Black have had in this era that NFL reporters might overlook the impact of Crosby. Nonetheless, what the Las Vegas star brings to the table isn’t lost on NFL coaches.
Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle conveyed what Crosby does that will offer a challenge to his squad.
“He’s a very unique player,” Doyle said (h/t Raiders.com). “When building a plan,
“That’s the biggest thing about him that shows up on the tape. He’s slippery and you just have to have an awareness and on every single play, you’ve got to have a plan for how we’re going to handle him.”
Raiders Need to Put Pressure on Bears QB Caleb Williams
Earlier this week, Bears head coach Ben Johnson gave the Raiders a heads-up on what Williams can do now that he’s hitting his stride in the new offensive system.
“When the offensive line protects like that, it’s a lot easier to play from the pocket,” Johnson told the media on September 22 (h/t Marquee Sports Network). “I thought zero sacks. We had a very clean pocket for the most part. That’s a starting point. He’s got the ability to escape and extend and all that. But, man, if we can keep him in there, our playmakers are some dynamic route runners that we can get the ball to in space.
“I think he saw when he plays on time, he’s trusting the hitches, and we can be an explosive offense that way. There’s a lot of ways that Caleb Williams can hurt you. Like I said, when we have pass protection like we had against the Cowboys, that certainly helps.”
‘It’s going to cost them…’ NFL announces punishment for two Las Vegas Raiders stars after costly mistakes in bruising Week 3 clash… heavy fines revealed in official league report as fans left stunned by what came next… - suong
Two Las Vegas Raiders players, Isaiah Pola-Mao and Devin White, face fines after the NFL announced penalties. It was a tough outing for the Silver and Black in Week 3 against the Washington Commanders, and both players made mistakes that proved costly to them financially.
On September 27, the NFL published its weekly Gameday Accountability report. Created in agreement with the NFL Players Association, the report highlights game-related rule violations that may result in accountability measures, aiming to protect players and preserve both competitive balance and the integrity of the game.
Pola-Mao received the larger fine of the two Raiders players. The 26-year-old was fined for unnecessary roughness during a first-quarter play against the Commanders at the 5:01 mark, when he used his helmet. As a result, the NFL has fined Pola-Mao $17,278 for the incident.
As for White, the unnecessary roughness play that he was fined for came in the fourth quarter at the 11:31 mark after he gave a hip drop tackle. Because of this incident, the NFL fined the 27-year-old $6,500.
Raiders Defenders Will Need to Move Forward
Pola-Mao and White will have to put these issues behind them as the Raiders defense need these two playing at the top of their game against the Chicago Bears.
Raiders defensive lineman Thomas Booker IV will be looking to help slow down Williams and the Bears. Furthermore, he explained what the defense needs to do to give the team the best chance to win.
“I think [Williams is] starting to kind of figure it out—when he should stay in the pocket and when he should get out of there,” Booker told reporters on September 24
“In terms of being improvisational and scrambling, he can really make plays on the move. For us, it’s about containing him and creating as many opportunities as possible to keep him in the pocket, so he doesn’t get out and run wild. That’s what we’ll be focusing on this week.”
Bears QB Caleb Williams Has the Raiders Defense on Alert
Booker isn’t the only one aware of what Williams brings against a defense. Raiders head coach Pete Carroll is praising the quarterback as well, noting he’s been following him closely since his USC days.
“I did watch him a lot [at USC] and had a chance to check him out,” Carroll told reporters on September 24. “He’s a very, very special athlete and
“They have a really nice system. You can see it already coming through. [Ben Johnson] is doing a nice job teaching these guys what he believes is important in offense. You can see that there are a lot of changes from last year. Caleb can do whatever you want him to do, so he’s a very dangerous player to play against.”
