Maxx Crosby
One of the biggest surprises from the 2019 draft class is Oakland’s defensive end, Maxx Crosby. The rookie’s eight and a half sacks are good enough for the fourth-most from a first-year player in franchise history. Two more and he will tie Greg Townsend and Anthony Smith for the record, and Week 17 is a perfect opportunity for the Eastern Michigan product to etch his name into the history books.
Pass protection is not Denver’s strong suit, especially on the outside. Starting left tackle Garett Bolles has allowed 30 quarterback pressures and only three players in the NFL have been called for holding more frequently. To make matters worse, first-string right tackle Elijah Wilkinson suffered an injury last week and the team promoted Quinn Bailey to the active roster, casting some doubt about Wilkinson’s status for Week 17.
Between Bolles’ struggles and Wilkinson’s injury, Crosby could have a field day on Sunday and getting pressure on the quarterback will significantly help the Raiders’ defense. While rookie QB Drew Lock is playing well, passing under pressure was one of his issues coming out of Missouri and his numbers under duress are dramatically worse than from a clean pocket. Expect Guenther’s game plan to heavily rely on getting after the quarterback which means the Raiders’ best pass rusher needs to have a big day.