Early season overreactions are an NFL tradition unlike any other, but they're simply too fun to quit. Two weeks isn't enough time to know anything about anyone – especially with how preseason is treated now – but what are Raiders fans supposed to do? Not freak out a little bit after what was probably the most impressive win of any NFL team so far? That's not how any of this works!
Not only was the win in Baltimore a huge moment for the Raiders' reputation across the league, but it may have featured a season-defining moment? (It's more fun to just lean into the reaction at this point, I promise.) After Gardner Minshew threw a first half interception, TV cameras got a shot of Maxx Crosby going over to Minshew and pumping him up with a pep talk.
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As it turns out, being (nicely) yelled at by Maxx Crosby wakes you up. Minshew almost immediately looked better and played well throughout the rest of the game, leading the Raiders on three 4th quarter scoring drives. There wasn't any audio of Crosby's speech, but when speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Minshew revealed exactly what he said.
Maxx Crosby got 'the Washington State' Gardner Minshew to show up
"He grabbed me and just said, 'Hey, we got your back dude,'" Minshew said. "We need that Washington State Gardner. We need that.' And I was like, 'You're right, dude. Let me see if I can go whip that up real quick."
If the Raiders are actually getting Washington State Gardner Minshew from now on, we're in for a treat. In his one season in Pullman, Minshew threw for over 4,700 yards with 38 touchdowns while completing 70 percent of his passes. And since there's very little skill difference between the NFL and the Pac-12, Raiders fans can definitely expect that stat line this season. All because Maxx Crosby simply asked for it! It was that easy.
This may not end up being one of the best moments from the Raiders season, but where's the excitement in assuming that? It could also be *the* moment that propels them into a season-long battle with for an AFC West title, which is way more fun to think about. Maybe this is the start of a big ol' winning streak – the Panthers are in town this weekend. That's the joy of early season overreacting: anything is still possible.