Raiders DE Talks Steelers, Locker Room Vibes

The Las Vegas Raiders have a prime opportunity to earn its third win of the season and return to .500 amidst a drama-filled couple of weeks. All-Pro edge rusher Maxx Crosby previews the Steelers and talks about the state of the Raiders locker room.

Sep 15, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) celebrates after a sack during the second half against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders (2-3) are back home at Allegiant Stadium this Sunday to battle the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2).

Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby gave his thoughts on what he has seen from the Steelers on tape and what is expected from them entering this weekend.

“They're a physical team,” Crosby said. “They like to keep it simple, they run the ball a ton and you have a coach like Mike Tomlin, you know they're being coached the right way and they're going to come out and do what they do; run the ball, be physical, pass it from time to time but yeah, we have to be ready to out-physical a very physical team.”

Two of the best edge rushers in the NFL will be on display this Sunday with Crosby and Steelers' six-time Pro Bowler T.J. Watt. He is going to cause issues for the Raiders offensive line all afternoon.

Watt was the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year, four-time first-team All-Pro, and most recently recorded his 100th sack in Week 5 against the Dallas Cowboys. Crosby spoke on what it will be like to square off against another one of the league's best.

“It's different; we're not obviously competing against each other, but yeah, you know how it is, you see him make a play, and then he sees me make a play, it's like OK, ‘I'm that guy’ you know what I mean?” Crosby said regarding Watt. “So, it's that type of deal even though we're not going technically head-to-head. I know we've talked about it before, I think they got the TV copy, we were watching it this morning, he saw me get a sack last year against him, he's like, ‘alright’, he's shaking his head, I'm like ‘alright so it's going to be one of those days’. So, I expect it to be that way, like I said, I got the ultimate respect for him, he's a hell of a player and he just got his 100th sack which is a big deal. So yeah, got nothing but good things to say about him.”

Away from the playing field, the past two weeks have brought drama into the Raiders locker room with trade rumors surrounding All-Pro receiver Davante Adams, who has been out with a hamstring injury the past two games. The focus again this week, is only on winning and getting back to .500.

“I mean, it's good, the players, everybody's focused on winning, that's the most important thing,” Crosby said. “Yeah, there's always going to be noise, but that's just what comes with it. It's just the teams that win are the most resilient ones and that's what we're focused on being. We have a big game coming up, playing a really solid team, we gotta find a way to win. We're back at the crib [Allegiant Stadium], we win this game, we're back to .500 and we're right in the mix. That's literally all my focus has been on and that's what I've been preaching to guys.”

The Raiders and Steelers kick off this Sunday at 4 p.m. PT at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The battle between Crosby and Watt to see who can cause more chaos will be a key point to watch for as well as how the Raider receivers respond without Adams for a second-consecutive week.

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