OWINGS MILLS — The last time Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby played against the Ravens, he was a one-man wrecking crew.
Crosby finished with two sacks, six tackles, five quarterback hits, and two tackles for a loss in the Raiders’ 33-27 overtime win on September 13th, 2021. He is still playing at a high level, and the Ravens are going to try to make sure that he is not as disruptive when the teams meet Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium.
“[Crosby’s] certainly a game wrecker, no doubt about it,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. “[He’s] one of the best players in football. [He’s] a very unpredictable player because of his high level of energy. He brings it every single play. He plays almost every single snap. He’s up field, he’s underneath, he’s into you, he’s back around the back side, he’s spinning, he’s knocking your hands off, [and] he’s running to the ball.”
The Ravens are going to need their offensive line to keep Crosby, a two-time All-Pro, from pressuring quarterback Lamar Jackson.
However, the linemen are still adjusting to one another.
The offensive line has three new starters and faced a big challenge on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs in the season opener. After a tough start with several pre-snap penalties and a strip sack on Jackson, the Ravens played better in the second half but fell short by inches in a 27-20 loss.
Harbaugh is likely to keep the same starters against Las Vegas — Ronnie Stanley at left tackle, Andrew Vorhees at left guard, Tyler Linderbaum at center, Daniel Faalele at right guard and Patrick Mekari at right tackle.
They will have to play better than last time against the Raiders. Jackson remembers Crosby’s pressure in 2001, and he doesn’t want a repeat performance.
“That guy, he’s a great edge rusher, man,” Jackson said. “My hat’s off to him. He was high motor. He was just going at it all game. I was like, ‘This man here …’ I was laughing with Maxx. He was trying to get after me, and I was talking trash back. He was like, ‘But I love your game, Lamar,’ and stuff like that. But he’s a great edge rusher. He’s definitely a great edge rusher.”
Las Vegas cornerback Decamerion Richardson (hamstring) and defensive end Tyree Wilson (knee) did not practice Wednesday.
