Maxx Crosby on Similarities to 2021 Raiders

The 2023 Las Vegas Raiders could be on a similar trajectory to the one the 2021 Raiders team was on.

After Coach Jon Gruden’s resignation in October, Rich Bisaccia took over as the interim head coach. The Raiders then went 7-5, winning their last four games to reach the postseason.

This season, Coach Josh McDaniels was fired after losing to the Detroit Lions in October, and Antonio Pierce took over on an interim basis. The Raiders are 4-3 under Pierce and remain alive in the AFC playoff hunt after a statement victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Raiders hope for a similar late-season playoff push like the one they made in 2021. On Sunday, they face the Indianapolis Colts (8-7), who hold the final Wild Card spot in the AFC.

The Raiders could give their playoff chances a massive boost with a victory.

Raiders star defensive lineman Maxx Crosby was a part of that 2021 team, and he spoke about the similarities between this team and the Raiders two seasons ago on the most recent episode of his podcast, The Rush with Maxx Crosby.

“I’m one of the only guys who got to experience that,” Crosby said. “It’s a big deal. Me, Josh Jacobs, A.J. Cole, there are a few of us still left in the locker room who were able to experience that year, and it was beyond special. So, obviously, Gruden, when that whole deal went down, it was earlier in the season, so we had more time to adjust and figure out who we were going to be as a team, but basically half the season was gone when AP stepped in as the coach, so we’ve had to learn and improve on the fly, and I feel like we’ve definitely been doing that.”

Crosby also mentioned that the Raiders must learn to finish games to reach the postseason.

“There’s definitely been some bumps in the road, but if you really look at it, Miami, it came down to the last possession of the game," Crosby said. "That could have been a win for us. We want to be playing in Miami in the playoffs if it comes down to it, and there are a lot of games that have been really close, and I know for us as a team, we have a different energy and a different vibe to us. So, we have to figure out how to finish these games from start to finish and sneak our way into the playoffs, and that’s what we plan on doing.”

The Raiders have to win their final two games to have a shot at playing in the playoffs. Their playoff probability is at 11 percent, according to NFL.com’s Playoff Picture.

The Silver and Black must win out and get help from other teams, but they can only control what they do on the field, which is what Crosby wants the team to do.

The entire podcast episode can be found here.

The Silver and Black continue the season on New Year's Eve versus the Indianapolis Colts in Indianapolis. Don't miss it on Sunday, December 31, at 1 p.m. EST/10 a.m. PST.

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