The Raiders’ pass rush was disappointing in 2020. What else is new, right?
The expectation was that Maxx Crosby, among others, would take the next step and establish the Raiders’ defensive line as one of the better units in the league, but that never came to fruition. Crosby brought energy, but for whatever reason didn’t always play to the level of his rookie year.
As it turns out, injuries may have been a factor in Crosby’s production this year.
“Maxx Crosby played through some injuries last year that a lot of people wouldn’t,” Mayock said this week, but did not elaborate on the specifics of the injuries.
Fortunately, Crosby filled in the blanks on social media and acknowledged that he played through a torn labrum in his shoulder and broken metal plate in his hand this year. He posted a picture on Twitter and he seems to have no usable arms at the present time.
As he pointed out, Crosby didn’t miss any games this year with injury. He actually broke his hand in the preseason of his rookie year, but didn’t miss any regular season games that year, either. No question, Crosby is one of the real “Gruden Grinders” on the Raiders roster. And as Mayock pointed out, he played through injuries that a lot of players would not.
twitter: @raidersbeat
At least we have someone on defense that deserves to be a member of The Raider Nation. The man is tough and he is good now Gruden needs to find more like him
Give Maxx, Clelin and the rest of the D what they need – a physical presence on the interior that can do some serious disruption by collapsing the pocket. This would improve the outside pass rush and the defensive backs won’t have to cover receivers for 4 or 5 seconds. And draft no “projects” in the first 2 rounds!!!
Kudos to you Mad Max..old style Raider! Get well and stronger for next season my man…Go Raiders!!!
Do Maxx, Clelin and the rest of the defense a favor and find a disruptive interior lineman that can apply pressure up the middle. It will improve the outside pass rush and the secondary won’t have to cover receivers for 4 or 5 seconds. Also, DO NOT DRAFT “PROJECTS” IN THE FIRST OR SECOND ROUNDS!!
The real question is will Mad Maxx switch back to 99 when the Raiders cut Arden Key?
I’m absolutely certain that not only did Max play through injuries this year but also that Josh Jacobs did the same thing last year. It points to the NEED for Raiders Management to have depth at all positions. I could easily name some players that Gruden and Mayock signed to the roster that contributed absolutely nothing, this year or last. Obviously, the Raiders cannot afford to carry dead weight and still expect to be competitive. The rebuilding of the roster, under Gruden and Mayock, was supposed to fix this concern and yet the problem still persist. Until these two television analysts figure out how to acquire serviceable personnel, the Raiders are not going anywhere. Sadly, Mark Davis has given Gruden a vote of confidence and 10 million dollars a year for what has thus far turned out to be less than desirable results. Of course, Mark Davis can do that because he and the Raiders still made a profit, this year and last. As usual, it’s us devoted fans who purchase Raiders merchandise that have been getting the short end of the stick for years now. I know that I speak for ALL OF RAIDER NATION when I say that we want to JUST WIN BABY. A brand new state of the art stadium, a new city and venue but the same old losing and folding at the end of every season isn’t getting old, it has been old for much too long. NO ONE other than Gruden believes that the Raiders are going to return to prominence any time soon and Mark Davis needs to ask himself, What is my next move and contingency plan if for some unfathomable reason that Jon Gruden can’t get this team to where it needs to be? Mark Davis put all of his eggs in the Gruden basket and thus far all he has gotten in return eggshells. Let’s just say, for arguments sake, that after 5 years at the helm that Gruden hasn’t produced a winning team, what then Mark? Do you do your best Ronald Reagan impersonation of staying the course? Oh sure, YOU will still be getting paid but what about the Raiders and their fans? How many years must you venture down the wrong road before you realize that it would possibly be in your best interests to simply turn around?