Raiders Defense Following Their Leader
The Las Vegas Raiders have played well on defense for most of the season, but they have undoubtedly played better since their bye week.
Las Vegas has held opposing offenses scoreless in eight of the last 12 quarters.
Raiders Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham says the attitude displayed by the defense begins with the leadership of defensive end Maxx Crosby.
"I mean, we follow our leader which is Maxx [Crosby]," Graham said. "I mean, Maxx has been -- the best thing about Maxx to me, aside from knowing all the stuff he does in the community, his leadership on the field, his leadership in the classroom, leadership in the weight room, is that he's the most consistent player I've been around in my career, just consistently always doing his best, always challenging.
"His toughness, I mean, he's been tough since I watched him when he was in college. Maxx is our leader. It is what it is. [Robert] Spillane is one of the leaders. They're all tough guys, and they're all tough guys who are relentless, who love the game of football, who want to play the game the right way.
"So, we just follow him, and I get out of the way -- it's their defense -- and let them play. Again, Monday was a good example of it, but I would say that we've seen that because I don't think Maxx would have it any other way.
Las Vegas Raiders DE Maxx Crosby continues to lead the way for their defense.
© Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
"And when it didn't meet the standard, I'm sure myself, Maxx, AP [Antonio Pierce], and everybody when Josh (McDaniels) was here has something to say about it, but Maxx is the leader. He's the catalyst for that, and you're not going to find anybody more consistent than him."
Graham says honesty goes a long way and has been one of the main traits of his coaching style.
"The thing I love about coaching and dealing with professional athletes at this level is all they want from you is honesty," Graham said. "So, if they're doing it, good. When it doesn't show up, you tell them.
"Like: 'Is that what we want it to look like? We made an agreement that we wanted it to look a certain way. We want to look right, we want it to sound right, we want it to feel right.' So when it's not there, part of my job as a teacher is to say: 'Hey, this is an example of where we're not doing what we talked about.' And they respond.
"They're professional athletes. They just want the truth. They want honesty. You tell them the truth, and they respond. Again, I told you I've got nothing but respect for them. They're so young, and they make these hard choices. They've got to make split-second decisions out there going 19-miles-an-hour. It's amazing what they do. I love my job."
The love Graham has for his job can be seen through the impressive job he's done with one of the lowest-paid defensive rosters in the National Football League and a struggling offense.
Graham's ability to get the most out of this defense has been a sight.
The Silver and Black continue the season on New Year's Eve versus the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Don't miss it on Sunday, December 31, at 1 p.m. EST/10 a.m. PST.
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