Las Vegas Raiders: Is it time to worry about Maxx Crosby in Week 12?

Week 12 of the 2023 NFL regular season brings a huge matchup for the Las Vegas Raiders, as they welcome the Kansas City Chiefs to Allegiant Stadium. After winning two of their last three games, the Raiders have kept themselves alive in the AFC Playoff picture, but a loss on Sunday could spell the end to that dream.

Luckily for the Raiders, the Chiefs have looked beatable the last few weeks, dropping games to both the Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos in two of their last three games. They have beaten the Miami Dolphins during that span, but that was in Germany, so this one could be a very winnable game for the Silver and Black.

As we inch towards Sunday, there is cause for concern, however, as Maxx Crosby has yet to practice this week. He has been listed as 'did not participate' for both Wednesday and Thursday, and the cause of that has been an injury to his knee.

We will continue to monitor the injury report as the week goes on, but for now, this has to be concerning for Raider Nation.

Raiders will struggle with Crosby out of the lineup

It is no big secret that the Raiders defense has played better this season, and the team is getting contributions on all three levels. The secondary has really taken a strong step forward, and we are seeing improvement from guys like Malcolm Koonce and Amik Robertson to name a few.

The issue is that without Crosby, this Raiders defense loses its identity, and someone that teams absolutely need to gameplan against. Watching the Miami Dolphins on HBO's Hard Knocks, it was clear that Crosby was the priority for the Dolphins defense, and I am sure all NFL teams prepare against the Raiders the same way.

Crosby is not one to miss a game, especially agaisnt the Chiefs, and with the bye week coming up. I would assume he will eventually be a 'go' on Sunday, but we have seen big-time guys miss in recent weeks, including Kolton Miller, so keep an eye on the injury report as we inch closer to gameday.