How the Dolphins Controlled Crosby, and Lamm's Big Role

Veteran tackle Kendall Lamm continues to contribute for the Miami Dolphins

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel and Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) hug after the game at Hard Rock Stadium. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

As days pass since the Miami Dolphins' victory against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 11, more and more details are coming out about how the Dolphins frustrated star defensive end Maxx Crosby and got the better of him.

Crosby is absolutely an elite defensive player, but he was very quiet against the Dolphins to the point where the two most significant plays in which he was involved were a 15-yard penalty for hitting Liam Eichenberg after a play and then for going offside as the clock was winding down in the third quarter, with head coach Mike McDaniel caught on video trolling him.

“We didn’t even have a play called, LOL”

Mike McDaniel trolling Maxx Crosby after the Dolphins got him to jump 😅 https://t.co/uB2UnWmSwd pic.twitter.com/p6NjhNWxVb

— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) November 21, 2024

More importantly, Crosby was held without a sack, QB hit or QB pressure for only the second time this season — the first was against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Offensive coordinator Frank Smith said Thursday the key was simple.

"Don't let him have a chance to get involved," Smith said. "So when does he make plays? When you give him opportunities to be at the point of attack, you give him opportunities to have one-on-ones, when you give him opportunities to do what he does. So for us it was, you look at them, we were not going to let him tone-set for their defense. Because when he can set the tone, they feed off his energy.

"So for our run plan, we were going to make sure that we either had two people on them or we were running away from them. And if we were in the passing game, we were going to make sure that we had protection towards them. Either if we had to move away, there's someone chipping them. For a play pass, it was either two tight ends going to him or we had a tackle in the back. And then it's just when you do that and you're playing a certain way, it's on the guys and they understand the plan. And then now, it goes in the execution. And it was great that they understood the plan, making sure that we're gonna run one way and then he's over there, you go the other way. So there are a couple times where I'm sure you guys saw, we'd be lined up. There he is, go the other way. So it's all on the guys that understood the plan. And when you have an elite player like that, that's where coaching, we can create a plan that minimizes impact, and then the guy's gotta take it to the field. So it was a fun one."

LAMM LEADS THE WAY

The player who had to deal with Crosby the most last Sunday was veteran tackle Kendall Lamm, though as Smith pointed out, he did have a lot of help.

Lamm has become the starter at right tackle with Austin Jackson on injured reserve with a season-ending knee injury, and having him is a nice luxury for the Dolphins with his 39 career starts, including eight last season and two in 2024.

Of his performance against the Raiders, Smith said, "It was great. I think he, like all the guys, he executed what we needed to get done. There's always plays that you're like, hey, there's more meat on the bone, we could have been a little bit better. But overall executing with his experience and how professional he is about everything, we were lucky when we got him here the first year and he's helped us be successful."