The Las Vegas Raiders' defense has been a surprising revelation in 2025. While the team is just 1-3 and the unit ranks 22nd in scoring defense and 21st in total yards allowed, they have played much better than the numbers suggest.
Outside of their abysmal performance against the Washington Commanders in Week 3, the defense has given up just 19.3 points and 308.0 yards per game. Despite allowing 25 points to the Chicago Bears in Week 4, they played much better than the outcome depicted.
Chicago started five drives in Raiders territory thanks to four turnovers, with four of those drives leading to scores that resulted in 16 of their points. The fifth drive came to a screeching halt on Maxx Crosby's first career interception.
Raiders star Maxx Crosby reveals what led to his first career interception
Crosby was seemingly all over the place on Sunday, making big play after big play. There was no play bigger than the first interception of his seven-year career, which he broke down on his latest episode of The Rush Podcast.
"I'm not going to lie, it was dope. Right before the play, I told Tyree (Wilson) to hit it, and we ran a game, and when I looped back around, I knew there was a (expletive) wall of O-lineman in front of me," Crosby said. "So, I'm trying to get vision of Caleb (Williams)' eyes, and he was staring straight down the middle of the field, and he didn't break, so I just tried to get in the window, and I matched his throwing hand and got a piece of it. And then I just (expletive) look up and I'm like, 'Oh, my God, that (expletive), I'm getting that (expletive)'."
It's obviously entertaining to watch the play unfold on the field, but it is even more interesting to hear about it transpired through the lens of one of the NFL's best defenders.
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Crosby went on to describe the feeling of recording his first career interception.
"It was crazy, bro, I'm not even going to lie. When I got the ball in my hand, I had no ball security. I didn't give a (expletive), I was running, holding that (expletive)," Crosby said. "I couldn't feel my body. Like, it was a movie. It felt like a video game. When you're in a dream and you wake up and you're like, 'Oh, (expletive)'. I always dream about just doing crazy (expletive) in the game. That was one of the moments I'm like, 'Holy (expletive), that really happened'."
Crosby actually came close to recording his first career interception earlier in the game on a different pass he deflected into the air. Overall, he had a monster game with five solo tackles, three tackles for loss, one quarterback hit, one interception, one forced fumble and three passes defended.
The Raiders' star defender has continued to be a bright spot on a flawed roster throughout the 2025 season. If he continues this level of play, he could be in line to earn his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl selection, and perhaps even bigger honors from the NFL.