Raiders vs Broncos 2023 Week 18: Studs and Duds

Maxx Crosby and the Defensive Line – Studs

Down the stretch of the season, the position group that was once a major concern for the Raiders has become the backbone of the team. The defensive line of the Raiders completely dominated the Denver Broncos and shut down their offense for all intents and purposes.

The Raiders were able to sack Jarrett Stidham five times and completely shut down the Broncos run game which did not even reach 50 yards total. Their best moment of the game came at the end of the first half as they came up with a great goal line stand to keep the Raiders ahead.

Led of course by Maxx Crosby, this unit plays with a ferocity and intensity that was sorely missing early in the season. Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has unleashed this unit on opposing offenses and has found a great mix by moving Tyree Wilson inside and allowing Malcolm Koonce to wreak havoc in the backfield.

Koonce recorded yet another sack as did Tyree Wilson and Maxx Crosby. The bust talk has died down a bit as Wilson has played much better on the interior and there is hope that he could become a dominant pass rusher as a defensive tackle.

As for Maxx Crosby, he continued his reign of terror this year as he finished the day with one sack, two tackles for loss, and four QB hits. He finishes the year with 14.5 sacks, 90 combined tackles, and 23 tackles for loss. Perhaps if the Raiders were a better team overall then he would get consideration for the Defensive Player of the Year award but regardless he should garner some votes.