The Las Vegas Raiders will try to upset the Kansas City Chiefs at home on Sunday. They may have to play without star defensive end Maxx Crosby though, who reportedly would have missed practice for a second consecutive day Thursday due to a knee injury, via Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
It should be noted that Las Vegas didn’t actually practice on Thanksgiving, but Crosby reportedly wouldn’t have participated Thursday.
In Week 11, the Raiders fell short against the Miami Dolphins, 20-13. With a 5-6 record, Las Vegas is attempting to remain in the playoff conversation. From a standings and momentum perspective, securing a victory on Sunday would be a significant step towards sneaking into the postseason.
The Raiders will find it extremely difficult to win on Sunday if Crosby is sidelined. He is a fantastic player who supports Las Vegas’ defense.
It is Crosby’s fifth season in the league at the age of 26. Although he has proven to be resilient throughout his NFL career, it is still important to keep a close eye on this injury concern.
Two-time Pro Bowler Crosby has established himself as one of the NFL’s top all-around defenders. In each of his professional seasons, he has logged at least seven sacks; in three of those seasons, he has recorded at least ten sacks. 2022 saw Crosby record his highest number of sacks in his career with 12.5.
So far in 2023, Maxx Crosby already has 10.5 sacks. He will have a chance to set a new career-high if this injury does not keep him out for a significant amount of time.
Crosby’s long-term well-being is extremely crucial. The Raiders will probably not let him play this Sunday against Kansas City unless they don’t think there’s a chance it will worsen his current injury.
The Raiders’ road ahead won’t be simple. The Los Angeles Chargers and Minnesota Vikings will play in Las Vegas after their Week 12 matchup against the Chiefs. After that, on Christmas Day, the Raiders will go to Kansas City to play the Chiefs.
