Getty Las Vegas Raiders DE Maxx Crosby.
It didn’t take long for tempers to flare at joint practice between the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Rams. This time, defensive end Maxx Crosby was the instigator.
About an hour into the August 16 practice, Crosby chased down Rams running back Cam Akers, who was in the open field, per Tashan Reed and Vic Tafur of The Athletic. Crosby reached him and tried to knock the ball out of his hand, but Akers thought that play was over and wasn’t happy about the extra effort and bumped with a shoulder. Crosby retaliated by throwing a punch, which led to both teams getting involved.
Crosby, who is the leader of the Raiders’ defense, had a chance to address what happened after practice and wasn’t remorseful.
“I was just doing what I do,” Crosby said during his August 16 media availability. “And he didn’t like that, so he got what he got.”
Akers saw that quote and took to his Twitter account and threw shade at the Raiders defensive end.
“Somebody ask him what it was I got? Anybody with eyes saw what happened,” Akers wrote in the post.
Crosby hasn’t had a chance to respond as of the writing of this article.
Josh McDaniels Not Happy With Fight
Maxx Crosby and Cam Akers were pulled from the practice field after the fight and didn’t return. Head coach Josh McDaniels doesn’t want his players fighting and made it clear that he wasn’t happy with the situation.
“That’s not what we’re here to do,” McDaniels said in his August 16 media availability. “(Rams coach) Sean (McVay) and I are on the same page on this in terms of what we’re trying to get done here. None of it involves fighting. So, to me, it’s a waste of time. That’s not toughness. That’s not football.”
Crosby is the Raiders’ best defensive player and the team got off to a rough start in their first joint practice against the Rams. He took it upon himself to fire the team up and getting chippy was part of his plan.
“I bring that juice every single day, and I want my teammates to feel that,” Crosby said Wednesday. “And, s***, if I’ve got to go out there and take matters into my own hands, I can do it in different ways.”
Crosby isn’t at risk of getting cut so he’s got a longer leash than his other teammates when it comes to picking fights.
Las Vegas Raiders DL Gets Best of Los Angeles Rams OL
While it wasn’t a great practice for the Raiders against the Rams, one group that shined was the defensive line. The group consistently got after Rams quarterbacks all practice.
“They were relentless,” safety Roderic Teamer said of the defensive line during his August 16 media availability. “They go hard. They make it easier for us on the back end with the pressure they get and disrupting the quarterback.”
The Raiders defensive line was dominant against the San Francisco 49ers in the preseason opener. It’s looking like it could be one of the deepest and strong groups on the team, especially with rookie first-round pick Tyree Wilson finally getting on the practice field.
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Rams RB Cam Akers Throws Shade at Raiders DE Maxx Crosby