The Las Vegas Raiders are limping toward the finish line of the 2023 season as their Week 14 loss to the Minnesota Vikings extended their losing streak to three games.
The Raiders were briefly in contention for a Wild Card spot, but those hopes were dashed after getting shut out by the Vikings. It was a game of offensive ineptitude as both teams failed to get much going, though Minnesota was able to win off a Greg Joseph field goal in the final minutes.
Despite some positive momentum following the firings of Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler, Las Vegas has come back down to earth and has more questions it needs to answer in the offseason. However, Maxx Crosby remains one of the few constants on the team both on and off the field as he’s held the team together through all the adversity.
After the embarrassing loss, Crosby explained why there hasn’t been the normal turmoil and conflict that comes with a losing streak.
“We’re all super close,” Crosby said. “We have a tight-knit locker room. That’s something that’s been special this year, regardless about what’s been going on. So, yeah, there’s no finger-pointing. There’s none of that. We just got to find ways to get better and find ways to get more points on the board on offense. And on defense, find ways to get even more stops. So, yeah, it sucks. Every time you lose, it sucks, but especially in December because we know how much they matter. So, super disappointing.”
Crosby’s grown into a respectable leader and his comments show that he and the rest of the roster are staying the course and looking for solutions together. Normally, players would air out their grievances and take subtle shots at the staff or their teammates, but Las Vegas is doing a good job of not falling into those pitfalls.
While the loss is disappointing, the Raiders have a chance to rectify things when they host the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15. Like Las Vegas, Los Angeles has struggled mightily this season though the former has an edge playing at Allegiant Stadium.
Antonio Pierce takes blame for poor offensive showing against Vikings
Antonio Pierce started off strong, but the team has struggled to score in recent weeks. After getting shut out by the Vikings, Pierce assumed responsibility and didn’t rule out a quarterback change.
