Sunday’s matchup between the Raiders and Dolphins might not offer a lot of national intrigue, but Miami left tackle Patrick Paul did his best this week to stir up a few conversations around the game.
Paul was asked on Tuesday about facing Maxx Crosby, and the third-year tight tackle made a few comments that were sure to get the attention of Crosby.
“I think with him, he’s a dynamic player,” Paul said of Crosby to members of the Miami media.
“So with him, just beating him to the spot, getting your hands on him, getting him off his game. He likes to play with a lot of swagger, so just getting him displaced off his game. Get him off his spots, putting your hands on him, being aggressive and just getting him out of his game. I think once you get him out of his game it’s pretty much it.”
“He’s a high motor player. I think their defense runs off his motor… I feel like he’s a hot head, so a lot of those things you can get into his game with that, but he’s a great player so you just got to stay on it all four quarters.”
Crosby played coy a little when asked about Paul’s comments but did throw in three words at the end of a short statement that let everyone know he isn’t ignoring the comments.
“I don’t know what they’re talking about or who’s talking about what, but it is what it is. We’ll see Sunday,” Crosby said on Wednesday.
Ironically, Paul will mostly be blocking pass rushers other than Crosby on Sunday as veteran right tackle Austin Jackson will be lining up across from Crosby for most of the afternoon.
Jackson is entering his seventh NFL season, and Pro Football Focus gave the former first-round pick the highest pass-blocking grade of his career in 2025.
According to Pro Football Focus analytics, Jackson gave up only one sack in 175 pass blocking situation a year ago.
Even without the offseason that Crosby went through and the comments made by one of Jackson’s teammates, it should be an interesting battle on Sunday between one of the league’s most dynamic pass rushers (returning from a significant offseason surgery) and a right tackle who has seemingly developed into an above average pass blocker.
x: @raidersbeat