For the first time in five years, the Raiders defense took the field to start a game without Maxx Crosby. The last time that happened was October of 2019, which means there isn’t a player on this defense who has experienced it in a Raiders uniform. So, it was definitely an unfamiliar experience.
There was no choice in the matter. The Raiders had to figure it out. That goes for everything Crosby represents with this defense. Their emotional leader and keep the Browns from doing to them what the Panthers did last week.
Early on it, this one had a ‘her we go again’ feel to it. The Browns scored a touchdown on the opening drive and were up 10-0 at the end of the first quarter. But you could tell on that second drive, the defense was figuring things out. They gave up just one first down on the second drive and stalled the drive after that.
Then they went the rest of the game without giving up a point and went on to beat the Browns 20-16. The six points were scored off a fumble return for a touchdown.
The defensive line led the way in this effort. Including Christian Wilkins who had a sack and three QB hits.
Wilkins’ knew that stepping up to this challenge would start even before that first step onto the field. It began in the locker room. And with Crosby out, it was Wilkins’s duty to be the emotional leader.
He didn’t have to do it alone, though. Adam Butler took it upon himself to speak to the team and offer some words of inspiration as well.
Butler was raised in a military family, so he had a simple question for his teammates.
“As the bullets are flying, what are you willing to put on the line?” Butler asked. “I just put that question up in the air and I made a deal with them, I said I won’t let you down if you don’t let me down. I’m going to fly to the ball and you fly to the ball. And we’ll come out victorious and that’s what we did.”
Butler held up his end. He made several key stops, finishing the game second in tackles (6) along with a tackle for loss and a QB hit.
In the end, it was one of those edge rushers tasked with filling in for Crosby who slammed the door on the Browns.
In fourth and three, with the game in the balance, Deshaun Watson escaped out left, looking for a receiver or to take off and run for the first down. But Charles Snowden made sure neither could happen. He chased Watson down and sacked him to end the game.
Snowden said he and his fellow edge rushers took it as a personal challenge to step up in Crosby’s absence.
“We knew that not one of us was going to become Maxx Crosby overnight,” said Snowden. “We knew that would take the collective with his playmaking and his energy and just his presence. Maxx is always getting guys going with his energy out there so we knew we had to just collectively had to really do that.”
Snowden finished tied for the team lead with three QB hits to go along with his sack, a tackle for loss, and a batted pass. Janarius Robinson shared a sack, Tyree Wilson had two QB hits, and practice squad call up K’Lavon Chaisson added four tackles.
Deshaun Watson was held to 176 yards on the day with one TD and one interception. It looked for a moment like he might have a long TD to Amari Cooper, but a holding on Wilkins is what allowed him just enough time to get the pass off and thus wiped it away.
And the collective effort of those stepping up to fill the void left by Crosby’s absence is what eventually preserved the win.
