Maxx Crosby has been a one-man wrecking crew for as long as he has been a Las Vegas Raider. While it is a good thing to have a player of that magnitude in the building, it is never preferable to be so reliant on a single talent. But thus has been the plight of Crosby for years now.
Last season, the Raiders' defensive line was supposed to be dominant, but injuries derailed the campaign. This year, however, Christian Wilkins was shockingly released, Malcolm Koonce hasn't looked the same post-ACL tear, and Tyree Wilson just still hasn't broken out of his shell.
While Las Vegas' run defense has been surprisingly stout in a brutal 2025 NFL season, the Raiders' pass rush has been abysmal. While this major issue hasn't been talked about as a critical concern, it should be, and it was on full display once again in Week 16 against the Houston Texans.
Raiders' pass rush issues continue to worsen in 2025
Houston has one of the worst offensive line units in the league, and on Sunday, starting tackle Trent Brown left the game early with an injury. Still, however, the Texans kept C.J. Stroud clean, as the Raiders recorded zero sacks and just four quarterback hits in the entire contest.
This game, unfortunately, was no aberration. Las Vegas' pass rush has been unproductive all year, even in the presence of Crosby, the $106.5 million man who is one of the league's best at getting after the quarterback. He is not the problem, but he surely needs help.
The Raiders currently rank 26th in the league with just 27 sacks this season, and 30th in sack yards lost with146. Their 87 pressures rank 29th, their 30 quarterback hits rank 28th, and their 30 quarterback hurries rank 29th. In other words, they are in the bottom of the barrel in the league.
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To make matters worse, Crosby's share of that production is just too high for a single player. Crosby has accounted for 37.0% of the team's sacks, 32.2% of Las Vegas' pressures, 33.3% of the Raiders' quarterback hits, and 26.7% of their hurries. He is a one-man wrecking crew.
Again, nobody begrudges Crosby of these high marks and being the focal point of the pass rush. But, outside of him, the pass rush has been non-existent. With nobody else to consistently help him out and pose a threat to opposing offenses, it limits Crosby's ability, and therefore, the whole unit's.
Jonah Laulu is second on the team with 4.0 sacks, but he has not recorded one since Week 6. Malcolm Koonce and Tyree Wilson are the only other Raiders with more than 1.0 sacks, as they sit at 3.0 and 2.0, respectively.
Getting a quarterback of the future and bolstering the offensive line is certainly the priority for the franchise this offseason, but they can't ignore their blatant pass rush issues. Maxx Crosby needs help, and this group need helps, but it isn't seemingly coming from anyone currently on the roster.