Raiders have been too predictable with Crosby
Maxx Crosby has been credited with just two sacks in the first five games of the season, but advanced analytics say the Raiders’ All-Pro edge rusher has been playing at a high level.
Crosby has the fourth-highest Pro Football Focus grade among edge rushers for the season and is tied for fourth in the league in quarterback pressures (30), behind only Aidan Hutchinson (32), Dallas Turner (32) and Greg Rousseau (35), who the Raiders will face on Sunday.
Unfortunately for Crosby, he is getting a tremendous amount of attention from opposing offenses, and teams aren’t being punished for leaving the rest of the Raiders’ defensive line in one-on-one situations.
For that reason, Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter believes the Raider coaching staff is going to make a notable adjustment in week 6 against the Buffalo Bills.
“The Patriots, they came to the line, and they always knew where Maxx was going to be. They always knew where Maxx was going to be and they never had to put any thought into it.” Carpenter said on the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast on Wednesday.
“I expect the Raiders to move Maxx Crosby around… I mentioned to Klint, the Patriots came out and their whole mantra was, ‘We’re going to triple and double-team Maxx. We’re going to chip him,'” Carpenter continued.
“I know that the Patriots were like, ‘We know Maxx is always static. He’s going to be on the quarterback’s right. And there were some people around the NFL that wondered if maybe the Raiders should move him around a little bit, create a little bit of confusion. I agree. I asked Klint about it Monday and I can tell you that I expect that. That’s my expectation of the staff. It’s my expectation of the way they watch film. They’re not stupid. I do expect us to see Maxx moving around a little bit.”
Raiders need more from Crosby in the box score
The advanced statistics are encouraging, but sometimes the box scores tell a story, too.
Opposing offenses are keying on players like Anderson and Hutchinson, but they have combined for 16 sacks this year.
Quarterback hits and quarterback pressures are great, but the Raider defense needs to get back to bringing down the quarterback.
On Sunday, Drake Maye was pressured only two times in his first 17 drop backs, and that happened just a week after Maye was pressured 21 times by the Bills in week 5.
Something has to change along the defensive front in Vegas, and maybe moving Crosby around will give him more one-on-one opportunities in the weeks ahead.
