Maxx Crosby’s play against Bears draws praise from both sides

After the defensive letdown against the Washington Commanders, Maxx Crosby and the Las Vegas Raiders defense were hoping to put their stamp against the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

While the Raiders could not secure the victory, it was far from the fault of Crosby. The edge rusher did everything in his power to help his team, notching five tackles (three for loss), three passes defended, a forced fumble and an interception. Even though he did not record a sack, Crosby still did his part against Bears quarterback Caleb Williams with four pressures and a quarterback hit.

Both teams could only offer high praise for Crosby after his latest showing of dominance.

Crosby proved why he is one of the most respected players in the NFL.

After the game, Williams spoke to the Bears media about what he saw from Crosby.

“They’ve got a helluva player over there,” Williams said about Crosby during his postgame presser. “He’s probably the best player that I’ve ever played against so far in my career.”

The praise continued from the Raiders, as head coach Pete Carroll talked about how impressed he was with his superstar defender.

“If you think about it, this is what I’ve been impressed with, because I’ve been here through the preseason with him — he did those same things in preseason,” Carroll said during his press conference on Monday.

“Every time he’s been on the field, he makes things happen, and he’s doing it with very limited opportunities, because he’s getting doubled all the time in pass pro, and the ball is going away from him the whole time in the games — they’re running away from him, but he makes a play in the backside. And if you challenge him, he’s been there.”

After an injury-riddled 2024, it has been refreshing to see Crosby back to his productive self, even if the results have not been there for the Raiders.