Shirtless Raiders DE Maxx Crosby Sends Strong Message to Antonio Pierce

Getty Maxx Crosby (left) of the Raiders.

There was Maxx Crosby sitting where just about every Las Vegas Raiders fan in the country wanted him to be after Thursday night’s game, a historic 63-21 whooping of the Chargers. The Raiders defensive end was shirtless, smoking a cigar and talking with the TNF crew, a sure sign things had gone well. Even better, he was talking about one of his favorite subjects here in the second half of the 2023 season, interim head coach Antonio Pierce.

Since taking over the job on Halloween following the firing of Josh McDaniels, Pierce has been on a week-to-week audition to land the Raiders’ job permanently. Maxx Crosby, for one, has had his back all the way.

“AP has been hellbent on just us improving every single day,” Crosby said after the game. “Every time we go out there, we do it for each other, we do it for our brothers and he just says, go out there and be the hardest-working team.”

He had a pretty direct message for Pierce, in fact: We love you.

“It is one of the best quotes that I have heard, it believe it was George Atkinson who said, ‘There are 31 teams and then there re the Raiders,’” Crosby said. “He embodies exactly what the Raiders represent and we all love him. You see us improving every single week. So, if you give him a chance and I feel like the sky’s the limit. So, we love AP and we just want to keep winning for him.”

Maxx Crosby Praises Raiders Offense

Certainly, what we saw on Thursday from the Raiders qualifies as the greatest four-day turnaround in NFL history. On Sunday against Minnesota, the team’s offense looked utterly inept in a 3-0 loss to the Vikings. The defense played its heart out in that game, but time and again, the Raiders blew scoring chances against a Vikings defense that is good but not great.

The Raiders hurt themselves in Week 14.  They took it out on the Chargers in Week 15, as Pierce hinted they might do during his press conference this week. The defense deserves credit for repeatedly setting up the Raiders with short fields thanks to five turnovers, and the defense added two touchdowns itself.

But for Crosby, it was especially rewarding to see the guys on the other side of the ball perform as they did.

“It was incredible,” Crosby said. “Obviously last week we didn’t score and they took it personal. It was a quick turnaround. Any time you go out there, you want to be at your best and on the biggest stage—we’re still in the mix, even though we know it is not gonna be perfect. We’re just focusing on getting better every single day. You see Aidan throwing four touchdowns in the first half, it’s awesome.”

Playoff Spot Would Firm Up Antonio Pierce Status

Of course, when Crosby mentions being “in the mix,” he means reaching the AFC playoffs. Odd as it might seem for a 6-8 team, the Raiders have not yet been eliminated.  According to the New York Times playoffs odds tracker, the Raiders have a 3% chance of making the postseason, and surely if that happens, Pierce’s stock within the organization (namely, with owner Mark Davis) will rise high enough to ensure he gets the job.

That won’t be easy. The Raiders play the Chiefs, Colts and Broncos to close the season, and all three are over .500 and in the playoff mix. A loss to any of the three essentially eliminates the Raiders. Three wins, though, would make the Raiders 9-8 and give them a 56% chance at the playoffs.

Slim hopes, but if you’re Antonio Pierce and you want to keep the Raiders job, it’s the best you’ve got. And Maxx Crosby & Co. will keep playing hard for him.