The final score of the Raiders‘ defeat to the Cowboys showed 33-16, but it was far less closer than that, as Las Vegas was thoroughly outplayed on both ends in its fourth straight loss of the season.
And four-time Pro Bowl selection Maxx Crosby didn‘t mince words about his team after the loss.
"We just aren’t good enough right now," Crosby told reporters. "You know what I mean? There [are] a lot of issues, and we’ve got to find ways to get better, find solutions instead of just doing the same thing and expecting a different result. We’ve got to find ways to improve, and it takes everybody. It’s not about pointing a finger at anyone. I point at myself first.
"I look at myself to find ways to improve every day, and it’s got to be everybody in the building. We’ve got to find solutions. That’s it."
Raiders‘ frustrating first quarter sequence a microcosm of the night
One sequence in particular told the tale of the Raiders‘s Monday night struggles. After forcing the high-octane Cowboys‘s offense into a three-and-out on its first possession, Las Vegas‘s defense landed a jab on the second possession, as Crosby sacked Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott and forced a fumble, giving the Raiders the ball inside the Cowboys‘ 20-yard line.
Only, the Raiders' offense couldn‘t hold up its end of the bargain. Quarterback Geno Smith was sacked on the ensuing play, then two plays later, Smith missed wide receiver Tre Tucker for a potential touchdown in the end zone.
The frustrating sequence was unfortunately a microcosm of the night for the Raiders. The offense, plagued by issues in the trenches, struggled to sustain drives and, despite 42 passing attempts, averaged just 4.5 yards per pass play. The defense, despite racing out of the gate, didn‘t have an answer for the Cowboys' passing attack, yielding 30-plus points for the fifth time this year.
To Crosby, that‘s been an issue for the Raiders all season. Not executing. Not building momentum off of each phase of the game.
So, what gives Crosby hope that the Raiders can fix things, even in what‘s amounting to a lost season?
"It‘s football," Crosby said. "We have 17 opportunities. You train all year round to get 17 opportunities guaranteed. So if anybody takes that for granted, shame on them. You show up everyday, you gotta f------ go out there and produce and find solutions and look yourself in the mirror and get better. That‘s all you can do. No one feels bad for us.
"You got to win football games. And we're not doing that right now. We're not playing good football. So we've showed glimpses of being close but this is the NFL. You either win or you lose. And we're not doing that right now at a high level. So for me, I'm going to continue leading, continue working my a-- off at the highest level and try to get everybody in the same direction."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Maxx Crosby Didn't Mince Words About Raiders‘ Struggles After Blowout Loss to Cowboys.
