The Las Vegas Raiders will look to do what the Dallas Cowboys couldn’t: generate pressure on Caleb Williams. Dallas recorded zero sacks, allowing the USC quarterback to easily slice apart their defense.
Williams finished with 298 passing yards and four touchdowns on 19 of 28 attempts, giving the Raiders’ defense a tough challenge if they want to contain the Bears’ star and earn a win. Maxx Crosby will be key in creating pressure and disrupting Williams’ rhythm.
During a segment on 670 The Score, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune was asked about how the Bears will go about protecting Williams from Crosby, leading to Biggs taking a subtle shot at the Raiders star.
“I don’t think we’ll see any more of [a six offensive linemen alignment],” Biggs said on the September 26 edition of the “Mully & Haugh Show.” “Maxx Crosby is a fun player to watch with the way he approaches the game.
But let’s not put him in the same category as a couple of the other guys the Bears will face this season, like Myles Garrett or Micah Parsons—he’s not at that top-five level, in my opinion. Maybe we see a little of that with a lineman eligible, but no, I don’t think they would approach it that way. That would be very surprising to me.”
Where Does Raiders’ Maxx Crosby Rank Among Pass Rushers?
Crosby entered the league in 2019 and, since being drafted by the Raiders, the 28-year-old has recorded 61.5 sacks, ranking him sixth among defensive players, per StatMuse. Moreover, the pass rusher has recorded at least seven sacks coming to the NFL.
Perhaps it’s the lack of success that the Silver and Black have had in this era that NFL reporters might overlook the impact of Crosby. Nonetheless, what the Las Vegas star brings to the table isn’t lost on NFL coaches.
Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle conveyed what Crosby does that will offer a challenge to his squad.
“He’s a very unique player,” Doyle said (h/t Raiders.com). “When building a plan, obviously you have to have awareness of where he’s at at all times. He’s a phenomenal player. He plays with great effort.
“That’s the biggest thing about him that shows up on the tape. He’s slippery and you just have to have an awareness and on every single play, you’ve got to have a plan for how we’re going to handle him.”
Raiders Need to Put Pressure on Bears QB Caleb Williams
Earlier this week, Bears head coach Ben Johnson gave the Raiders a heads-up on what Williams can do now that he’s hitting his stride in the new offensive system.
“When the offensive line protects like that, it’s a lot easier to play from the pocket,” Johnson told the media on September 22 (h/t Marquee Sports Network). “I thought zero sacks. We had a very clean pocket for the most part. That’s a starting point. He’s got the ability to escape and extend and all that. But, man, if we can keep him in there, our playmakers are some dynamic route runners that we can get the ball to in space.
“I think he saw when he plays on time, he’s trusting the hitches, and we can be an explosive offense that way. There’s a lot of ways that Caleb Williams can hurt you. Like I said, when we have pass protection like we had against the Cowboys, that certainly helps.”
Bears Insider Takes Subtle Shot at Raiders’ Maxx Crosby