Evaluating Maxx Crosby's DPOY Case

What does Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby have to do to win the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award?

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby is again having an excellent season.

Crosby has been nearly unblockable every week, generating 75 pressures in 15 games, according to Pro Football Focus.

Overall, Crosby has 80 total tackles, a league-leading 19 tackles for losses and a career-high 13.5 sacks. He has been the leader of a vastly improved Raiders’ defense.

Crosby is the Raiders’ nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award and is one of eight finalists for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award. 

But he has a case for another piece of hardware: NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Crosby has as good of a chance to win the award this season as any year in his career. He leads all NFL players in tackles for losses and ranks third in the league in sacks, right behind Khalil Mack of the Los Angeles Chargers and T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He ranks highly among the elite defensive players in the league.

Does Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby have a strong Defensive Player of the Year case? / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

What also helps Crosby is that he has put up elite stats on a good defensive team. The Raiders have been one of the better defensive teams in the league this season, ranking ninth in the NFL in scoring defense and 16th in total defense.

Since Interim Coach Antonio Pierce took over, the Raiders went from allowing 23.4 points per game to only 15.5. The Raiders’ defense has only improved as the season has gone on, and Crosby has been a significant reason why.

The Raiders are only 6-8, but their defense has kept them competitive throughout the season, and they are still alive in the AFC playoff hunt. 

Crosby is the best player on one of the better defenses in the league, which only helps his case.

On most betting sites, Dallas Cowboys defensive end Micah Parsons is the odds-on favorite to win the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. 

Crosby currently has the ninth-best odds, ranging from plus-5000 to plus-8500.

So, what does Crosby have to do to secure the award? On the field, Crosby simply has to continue to play at the high level he has maintained throughout the season. 

The Raiders also have to win more games and at least knock on the door of playoff contention.

Crosby is having the best season of his career and could add some individual hardware if things fall in his favor. 

The Silver and Black will return to action versus their AFC West rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs, on Christmas Day at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Don't miss it on Monday, December 25, at 1 p.m. EST/10 a.m. PST.

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