Cam Ward confirms Raiders' Maxx Crosby took wind out of Titans' sails

Las Vegas' star player is taking a toll on opposing offenses.
Tennessee Titans v Las Vegas Raiders
Tennessee Titans v Las Vegas Raiders | Brooke Sutton/GettyImages

Maxx Crosby has been a dominant force for the Las Vegas Raiders since the franchise, then in Oakland, selected him in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He wasted no time establishing himself as one of the NFL's best edge rushers, as he has been elite against both the pass and the run.

The two-time All-Pro is in the midst of yet another stellar campaign, as he entered Week 6 tied for the league lead in tackles for loss and leading all non-defensive backs in passes defended. Crosby's sack numbers were down, however, as he had just 2.0 sacks over the first five games, putting him on pace for the lowest total of his seven-year career.

That changed on Sunday, thankfully, as the four-time Pro Bowler had an all-around great game against the Tennessee Titans. Crosby had a major impact in the win, as he finished with three solo tackles, two tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks and three quarterback hits.

Cam Ward shares high praise for Maxx Crosby following Raiders' Week 6 win

Following the matchup, Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward revealed how Crosby affected the team's game plan. He also earned praise from the opposing team's quarterback during Ward's postgame press conference.

"He's really explosive. Just off-the-ball, every play, he's going at it. Run game and pass game. We had a plan for him, but at the end of the day, he's one of the best defensive ends in the world, so he had himself a good game," Ward said. "We know when you play good guys, they're going to get in the backfield a couple times like him. ... We're just not doing anything on offense; I'm not doing anything on offense. We have to be consistent, and right now, we aren't."

Ward sure sounds deflated after a disappointing loss to Crosby and the Raiders in Week 6. Obviously, every opposing offense has a plan for Crosby, but most teams have been able to neutralize him a bit more than the Titans did on Sunday.

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Crosby had been having a great all-around season, as evidenced by his 83.2 Pro Football Focus grade. He had, however, had a slow start to the year in terms of getting to the quarterback. That led to the Raiders having one of the league's worst pass rushes entering Week 6, as their eight sacks were tied for the ninth-fewest in the NFL.

That changed on Sunday, as the team finished with a season-high six sacks. Crosby was a huge part of disrupting the Titans' offense and helping create rushing lanes for Las Vegas' defensive linemen. Tennessee finished with just 225 total yards on the day, including a season-low 65 rushing yards.

Ward completed 68.4% of his pass attempts; however, he threw for just 222 yards, one garbage-time touchdown and one interception. The Raiders also forced a season-high three turnovers in Sunday's matchup, all of which were on Ward's mistakes.

While Crosby has long been the franchise's only true weapon on defense, it appears that he finally has some help, which should allow him to continue to dominate. Las Vegas' defense, which has shown major flaws at times this season, appears to be a few pieces away from being a legitimate threat, and Ward felt that on Sunday.

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