The Las Vegas Raiders have plenty of reasons to be excited about their upcoming matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs.
For starters, both AFC West rivals are entering Week 4 undefeated at 3-0, setting the stage for an early-season showdown with significant implications for not just the division, but the entire AFC conference.
But for Raiders star pass rusher Maxx Crosby, there is another reason this matchup stands out.
He gets to face quarterback Patrick Mahomes again.
Raiders DE Maxx Crosby Makes Feelings Clear on Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes
Maxx Crosby and Patrick Mahomes have gone up against each other numerous times throughout their careers, with the Raiders pass rusher tasked with trying to disrupt one of the NFL’s greatest quarterbacks of all time.
Ahead of their latest matchup, Crosby made it clear that he is already looking forward to seeing Mahomes again.
“He [Mahomes] knows what it is,” Crosby said on The Rush With Maxx. “It’s war. There’s no other words needed. You know what I mean? That’s as simple as that. So, yeah I can’t wait. There’s a lot of work to be done till we get there, but, yeah, it’s war.”
Crosby’s choice of words immediately captures the intensity surrounding one of the NFL’s most familiar quarterback-pass rusher matchups. It’s obvious this game means more to Crosby.
Crosby Has Plenty of Respect for Mahomes
While Maxx Crosby used the word “war” to describe facing Patrick Mahomes, his comments also showed that the Raiders star has tremendous respect for the Chiefs QB1.
Crosby included a clip of Mahomes discussing their rivalry, with the Chiefs star offering high praise.
“I think he [Crosby] has sacked me the most out of anyone, so that to me, he’s the best pass rusher that I’ve played against,” Mahomes said.
Crosby clearly appreciated the recognition.
“You know, me and him, we’ve seen each other a lot,” Crosby said. “We’re both looking forward to it. I respect the s*** out of him.”
After the Raiders’ victory against the New Orleans Saints, head coach Klint Kubiak had a message for his team and the upcoming matchup against the Chiefs.
“All right guys, hey, last thing here, you’re 3-0 because of the type of people that you are. How hard you work. How much you care about each other. How important it is to you. Okay? So let’s dial it back in. We all know what’s coming into our place.”
Crosby then added his own message, saying, “Hey, like you said, man, it’s a great win. But we got a great team coming into town. We already know what it is. It’s the f***ing Kansas City Chiefs.”
Raiders host the Chiefs Week 4 in Las Vegas at 1:25 PM Pacific Time.
Time to see what Crosby and Mahomes have in store.
Maxx Crosby Makes Feelings Clear on Patrick Mahomes Ahead of Raiders-Chiefs Battle