The Las Vegas Raiders left Allegiant Stadium in Week 4 with a 25-24 loss at the hands of the Chicago Bears. Star defensive end Maxx Crosby showed that he was worth every penny of the three-year, $106.5 million extension he signed this offseason, but it was still not enough.
Crosby did not record a sack, as those have been hard to come by for him in the 2025 NFL season. But he did record his first career interception, had several tackles for loss and batted down or deflected multiple of Caleb Williams' passes.
In Week 5, the Raiders travel to Lucas Oil Stadium to take on the Indianapolis Colts, who are 3-1 to begin the season. This is a Colts team that beat the Denver Broncos in Week 2 and battled with the Los Angeles Rams on the road last week, so they are an incredibly tough matchup for Las Vegas.
Maxx Crosby must be at his best to keep Raiders competitive vs. Colts
Indianapolis is fully capable of beating the brakes off the Raiders, as they've dominated losing teams like the Tennessee Titans and Miami Dolphins this year already. If Crosby is not at his best once again on Sunday, this may very well be the case for the Silver and Black.
Las Vegas' defensive line has not been as disruptive in 2025 as most expected it to be. The defensive interior has been underwhelming and faces a strong Colts interior offensive line, and Tyree Wilson and Malcolm Koonce have been relatively quiet opposite Crosby so far this season.
That means that it will seemingly rest all on Crosby's shoulders once again in Week 5, but thankfully, he has a relatively favorable matchup. Indianapolis' starting right tackle, Braden Smith, is a solid veteran player, but he has been sliding a bit as of late.
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Overall, this season, he has been the lowest-graded player on the Colts' offensive line, according to Pro Football Focus. His 58.6 score is below-average and ranks firmly in the bottom half of the league, and while his pass-blocking mark of 63.3 is in the top third, his run-blocking is in the bottom third.
Smith is also coming off a rough performance against the Rams, where his 50.5 overall grade was the second-worst on the Indianapolis offense. His 41.6 pass protection grade was warranted because he gave up five pressures, including three hurries and two hits.
Crosby must capitalize on the negative momentum currently defining Smith, who has been a nearly elite but unheralded player in his eight-year NFL career. If this Raiders star does not bring his best in Week 5, however, then it could be a disaster for the Las Vegas defense.