The Las Vegas Raiders have been sitting at the bottom of the AFC West with a 2-6 record, and DE Maxx Crosby is apparently quite upset. On the personal front, things have undoubtedly not been easy for Maxx because of his painful knee injury. But that’s not the only one that held the four-time Pro Bowl back lately. Crosby just got real about his new injury and what went down.  

On the latest episode of The Rush Podcast, the Raiders’ DE opened up about his health woes. Turns out, Crosby was in agony because of a combination of back and knee injuries. He thought he was fine before the game against Kansas City, but then his back suddenly tightened up while doing a practice drill. It was shocking because Maxx didn’t have back issues before this. Then, what happened next is pure horror.

“[I] tried everything in my power to go out there and try to play versus KC and wasn’t able to do that at my level at all, and then got shot blocked in my knee, so it was just like a double whammy.”

Further, Crosby admitted to being “off the grind,” focusing on recovery and getting his body back on track. For context, the pass rusher suffered an injury during the Raiders’ blowout loss to the Chiefs. It was just before halftime when Kansas City’s tight end, Noah Gray, went low and caught Maxx’s knees. The latter instantly rolled forward, and the team soon confirmed his knee and back injuries.

The Raiders ruled him out as a precautionary measure, and then came the bye week in late October. It offered him a much-needed break to heal up and get back in shape. Despite its hope for a strong rebound, the Silver and Black faced yet another defeat against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Allegiant Stadium. 

Now that Week 10 is here, the franchise and its fans hope to see Maxx at full strength. His recovery is a top priority for the Raiders. Meanwhile, head coach Pete Carroll spotted positives in the recent loss that he could build on for their next game.

Maxx Crosby’s head coach keeps the momentum

In the Week 9 game, the Las Vegas risked a bold move during overtime. They opted for a two-point conversion instead of settling for the tie, only it didn’t work out. The team may have lost, but Peter’s belief hasn’t wavered. 

Reacting to the loss, he said, “This was a really positive game in so many ways.”

He expressed frustration that the squad made mistakes such as allowing a record-breaking field goal or missing an extra point. He pointed out the flaws that cost them the game.

“I think our tackling was off,” he admitted. “They didn’t run the ball in the first half and ran for over a hundred in the second half. That’s so rare that happens.”

Yet, Caroll saw encouraging signs in the team’s overall performance, especially in the first half. He wants the team to carry the same momentum into their Week 10 clash against the Denver Broncos. Moreover, the head coach is focusing more on fixing the defense and maintaining consistency to wrap up this season. Maxx Crosby could play a crucial role if he regains his dominant form.