In the biggest game of his life, Maxx Crosby just had arguably the best performance of his career. In the Week 18 matchup against the Chargers, Crosby totaled 11 pressures and recorded two sacks against Justin Herbert.
Crosby played an absurd 82 snaps on Sunday Night Football, which is by far the most he’s played in any game this season. Prior to that, his highest snap total was 66 in Week 12 against the Cowboys.
For his dominant performance on Sunday Night Football, the NFL awarded him the AFC Defensive Player of the Week. This is his second Defensive Player of the Week honor in 2021 and the third of his career.
Not one, but two 🏆🏆@DanielCarlson38 is the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week and @CrosbyMaxx is the AFC Defensive Player of the Week » https://t.co/NhF4JdyUHL pic.twitter.com/CPKN9grHlC
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) January 12, 2022
His other win this season came in Week 1 when the Raiders defeated the Ravens on Monday Night Football and Crosby totaled two sacks with five quarterback hits. It’s starting to become a trend that when the Raiders play in primetime, Crosby rises to the occasion and puts on a show.
Crosby finished the year with *only* eight sacks but led the NFL in pressures and hurries. He was around the quarterback all season long and it resulted in a much better defense for the Raiders.
Crosby earned the first Pro Bowl berth of his career in 2021, but it remains to be seen if he is a first-team All-Pro selection. It’s going to be awfully hard for him to earn that honor, despite the pressure and hurry totals. T.J. Watt, Myles Garrett and Robert Quinn all had more sacks despite being far less consistent as pass rushers.
Still, Crosby had a fantastic season with the Raiders and he saved the biggest game of the season for Week 18. Without him, the Raiders certainly don’t win that game and they don’t make the playoffs. Needless to say, he’s one of the most important players on the roster for the Raiders.
