The Las Vegas Raiders are off to a 2-0 start this season after their 26-14 Week 2 win over their AFC West rival, the Los Angeles Chargers, on Sept. 20 at SoFi Stadium. Las Vegas is off to a strong start in the Klint Kubiak era, as both the offense and defense are clicking.
On defense, the Silver and Black have kept opponents to 14 points or fewer. In the win over the Chargers, other players stepped up, and the Raiders didn’t need much from Maxx Crosby.
Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean led the way with 10 tackles each, with Dean also forcing a fumble. Dean and Walker weren’t the only ones with standout performances, as Hezekiah Masses had five tackles and two interceptions.
On the pass rush side, Malcolm Koonce led the way with 1.5 sacks, and cornerback Eric Stokes also had a sack. After the win, Crosby spoke about the team’s 2-0 start as they look to head to 3-0 when they face the New Orleans Saints in Week 3.
“It’s amazing,” Crosby told reporters. “That’s why you play this game. You play to win. We got a lot of work to do. I think we all know that. Starting 2-0 is a good start. We know we’re going to enjoy this tonight and on the way back, and then it’s right back to work.
“New Orleans is a really good team, and they’ve had a lot of success so far. They won today against Baltimore, I believe, and they got a lot of young talent on that team. So we definitely got some work to do. Need another great week of work and go capitalize on another opportunity.”
Maxx Crosby Gets Blunt on Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker
Moreover, Crosby spoke about the performances of Dean and Walker, as the Raiders’ new linebacker duo is making an impact right out of the gate. Dean and Walker played together at Georgia, and both players come from winning environments to instill that mindset into the Raiders’ culture.
“[Dean is] a winner,” Crosby added. “He’s been a winner his whole life. He’s been in Georgia, Philly, and bringing a guy like that, Quay Walker, there’s a lot of guys that have had a lot of success in this league and know what winning looks like. So having those guys on our defense and being a part of this culture is evident. So they’re doing a great job.”
Kirk Cousins Issues Praise for Raiders Defense in Week 2 Win
Meanwhile, Raiders veteran QB Kirk Cousins also praised the team’s defensive performance against the Chargers. Cousins went 19-for-29 for 253 passing yards, three touchdown passes, one interception, and a passer rating of 113.1, but gave the credit for the win to his fellow teammates.
“To win in this league, you really need great defense, and we’ve had it the last two weeks,” Cousins said. “It’s made our jobs on offense much easier, and I’m just proud of the way our team has played, and it’s taken so many different people contributing to get these wins, and we’ve got to keep going.”
Maxx Crosby Drops True Feelings on Raiders’ 2-0 Start After Week 2 Win