No matter what happened in the Raiders season opener, it was going to be an emotional game for Maxx Crosby. But for the game to play out the way it did and to come out with a win, it means that much more for the longtime Raiders edge rusher.
“It was a little extra special today, for sure," said Crosby.
Crosby had a rollercoaster last few months. He was limited much of last season with an injury that ultimately had the Raiders decide it best to sit him the final two games of the season. The man who prides himself on toughing out injuries didn't like being sat down, especially because he thought he could still play at a high level without risking further injury.
The result was trade request which the Raiders ultimately honored with a deal to send
him to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for multiple first round picks. But the deal fell through at the last minute with the Ravens claiming he failed a physical, suggesting his injury had more concerns than they had originally thought.
Crosby returned to Las Vegas with renewed vigor. The career Raider had expressed some bittersweet emotions regarding his departure, and now that he remained in Las Vegas where he had previously hoped to play out his career and where he was beloved among a long suffering fanbase.
His first game back, the crowd was hyped and he and the rest of the Raiders gave them a good game. The Raiders jumped out to a 10-0 lead and never looked back, coming away with a 27-13 win.
"Just seeing the response, seeing the 98s in the crowd and stuff. I don't ever take that for granted, you know what I mean? I've come a long way from, you know, all the way from Eastern Michigan, you know what I mean? And we had 12-15,000 people in the crowd and getting to see a bunch of kids and grown men and grown women with my jersey on. I don't take that for granted at all. So I work so hard and I want to be able to set an example for my teammates and this organization to be something that people are proud to watch and get behind. So, yeah, man, it was definitely special and a great start to the year.”
Along with actually being able to celebrate the win, Crosby had 1.5 sacks, a tackle for loss and three QB hits, while bookend Quity Paye added two sacks, two tackles for loss, and 4 QB hits.
Crosby's first sack he shared with Paye to give him 70 sacks on his career. A nice milestone for him. One that couldn't have happened under better circumstances.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Raiders Week 1 performance 'extra special' for Maxx Crosby
