Oakland Raiders rookie defensive end Maxx Crosby was rewarded for his strong performance against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11 by being named AFC Defensive Player of the Week.
The Raiders drafted Crosby in the fourth round out of Eastern Michigan and after a slow start to the season, he has really come on in recent weeks. He was all over the field in the Raiders’ Week 10 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, hitting the quarterback three times while earning 0.5 sacks and forcing Phillip Rivers to throw three interceptions.
Crosby put it all together in the sack category in Week 11 against the Bengals, posting five total tackles and being credited with four sacks in addition to a forced fumble. He marked just the fourth rookie in NFL history to have a four-sack game.
The Raiders defense carried the offensive in the 17-10 victory over the winless Bengals, and Crosby played a big part in that performance.
In 10 games (four starts) to begin his career, Crosby has 28 total tackles, three passes defended, three forced fumbles and 6.5 sacks. For comparison, the Raiders as a team only had 13 sacks as a team in 2018.
The entire Raiders rookie class has had success in 2019, which is a big reason the team currently sits in second place in the AFC West at 6-4. If Crosby finishes out the season playing how he has in recent weeks, then he could potentially work himself into the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year discussion. Raiders running back Josh Jacobs is already the favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.
