Maxx Crosby is off to a solid start to the 2026 season, but his box score numbers have not been particularly dynamic through the first five weeks.
Crosby is near the top of the league on a long list of advanced metrics, but he is tied for 45th in the NFL in sacks (2) and was easily schemed out by the Patriots’ offense on Sunday.
Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter talked about potentially moving Crosby around more this week, adding that he believes the Raiders’ coaching staff will make that adjustment on Sunday.
But Carpenter wasn’t the only one talking about getting more creative with Crosby in the weeks ahead.
Should the Raiders give Crosby more freedom?
David and Derek Carr think so.
“Maxx Crosby, I’m waiting for them to just let [him] loose,” Derek Carr said on the Home Grown podcast.
Carr’s comment was a reference to the way Crosby has been used predictably over the recent years, almost always lining up over the opposing right tackle.
The left side of the line might be where Crosby is most comfortable, but the elder Carr brought up the idea of using Crosby in a way similar to how the Steelers used to deploy Troy Polamalu.
“When I played against Troy Polamalu, he was that way. They would rush five. They would play coverage. Three deep, three under. Troy would go wherever he wanted. He had the freedom to do that,” David Carr said.
“I think there’s some validity to that with a guy like Maxx.”
Whatever the Raiders decide to do with Crosby, they need to get more production from best defensive player than what they got from him in week 5.
The Patriots knew where Crosby was going to line up, and protecting Drake Maye was too easy with Crosby being afforded so few one-on-one opportunities.
The Raiders won’t be able to move Crosby around on every play, but on obvious passing downs, the coaching staff needs to find ways to not be as predictable with their All-Pro pass rusher.
x: @raidersbeat
I’m open to it.