When your team’s two best players both show up on the injury report, it can be a bit concerning. When they are officially Questionable for the game, it’s even more concerning. That was the case with Maxx Crosby (ankle) and Christian Wilkins (knee) this week.
Head coach Antonio Pierce said on Friday that Crosby would be playing in the game. So, barring any setbacks, Maxx was playing. Not a big surprise considering his history with playing through injuries.
“He hasn’t missed any practice,” Pierce said of Crosby. “So, regardless of what I want to do, I’ve got to fight 98 and everything that he does. But the ultimate warrior. I mean, you see it with the stats this year, he hasn’t missed a snap, and I don’t expect him missing Sunday, either. I don’t expect him missing Sunday.”
That just left the question of whether Wilkins’s knee would be healthy enough for him to go. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, he too will play Sunday.
#Raiders defensive linemen Maxx Crosby (ankle) and Christian Wilkins (knee), both listed as questionable, are expected to play Sunday vs. Carolina, per sources.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) September 22, 2024
The Raiders have one of the league’s best defenses. That defense runs on its pass rush. Over the first two games, the two of them often set each other up for sacks and pressures.
“Just good chemistry,” Pierce said of Wilkins and Crosby. “And I think it’s an unselfish play by Christian, because there’s no sacks there, right? There’s not a lot of stats. We’re talking about Maxx Crosby, AFC [Defensive] Player of the Week. A lot of that’s coming because of what’s happening with Christian. Christian’s demanding too, right? He’s taking that guard and tackle, whatever it may be, and that’s freeing up Maxx winning these one-on-one opportunities. And Maxx is making the most out of it.”
