Maxx Crosby has a way of making every conversation about him feel urgent, and that’s especially true with the Patriots coming up on the Raiders’ schedule in Week 5.
Sunday gives New England a fresh look at one of the league’s most disruptive pass rushers, and the matchup itself is hard to ignore. Crosby has spent nearly 80% of his time on the field on the right side, which means he should see plenty of Ben Brown and Morgan Moses. That’s the kind of alignment that can wreck a game plan if the protection doesn’t hold up.
There’s also the bigger layer here: Crosby could be auditioning in front of a team that was already tied to him once. The Patriots were linked to him during the offseason before he was traded to the Ravens, then the deal was rescinded and he was sent back to the AFC West because of concerns about an apparent leg injury. Four games in, though, Crosby has looked stellar and has put those worries to rest.
If he comes after the Patriots the way he typically does, it could reopen a door that never fully shut. The Raiders continue to pop up in trade rumors ahead of the deadline, and another huge outing would only sharpen the attention around him, both in Las Vegas and around the league.
For New England, the interest makes sense. The Patriots are leaning on rookie Gabe Jacas and Elijah Ponder as young, developing pass rushers, while hoping Dre’Mont Jones turns in the best season of his career in that area. That’s a lot to ask from a group that still hasn’t been consistent enough to feel settled.
Harold Landry’s situation only adds to that uncertainty. He was placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list this summer, and there has been no details on his return timeline. That leaves a hole on the defensive line, even with Jacas and Ponder showing some encouraging moments.
Crosby would change the conversation immediately, though landing him would take a massive package. It might cost everything and the kitchen sink to get something done, which is why the Patriots may not ultimately be serious contenders. Still, watching him up close on Sunday could push them to at least make the call and ask what the Raiders would want.
At minimum, that kind of inquiry would show the Patriots are doing their due diligence and looking at every path to improve the roster for this season and beyond. That’s the message fans want to hear, especially with questions still hanging over the pass rush and the team’s broader direction.
So if Crosby puts on another show against New England, he may do more than disrupt the Patriots’ offense. He could also add one more team to the list of clubs wondering whether they should try to trade for him.
In Other News...
Drake Maye Faces A Bigger Test As Patriots Hope Momentum Is Real
Drake Maye has already gone through the kind of early-season adjustment every young quarterback eventually faces, with opponents getting more tape on him and making life tougher as the schedule has unfolded. He steadied himself in the latest game against the Bills, giving the Patriots a better version of the player they believe can eventually help carry them into a more consistent stretch.
The next challenge comes against a Raiders defense now prepared to study what Maye does best, and the attention around him has only grown as New England tries to sort out whether that recent momentum is a real step forward. If Maye keeps trending in the right direction, the Patriots suddenly have a path to stringing together wins, which would make the early-season growing pains feel a lot more like a necessary detour than a warning sign. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Offense Just Put More Pressure On Drake Maye
The Patriots offense has taken another hit at a time when it is still trying to find its footing. With New England sitting at 2-2, the team is adjusting its lineup heading into a stretch that starts with a home game against the Raiders on Oct. 11 and continues later in the month against the Bears.
Reggie Gilliam and Mack Hollins are now part of the latest shuffle, a setback that trims some depth and forces more moving pieces around Drake Mayes offense. For a unit already looking to settle into a rhythm, the timing matters, because the next two weeks will offer little margin for error as the Patriots try to keep the season from slipping into an early scramble. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Offensive Line Faces Its Biggest Test Yet With Drake Maye At Risk
The Patriots spent part of the offseason trying to stabilize the middle of their offensive line, signing guard Alijah Vera-Tucker and shifting Jared Wilson to center in hopes of giving Drake Maye a cleaner launch point. Even with those changes, the group has remained a work in progress, and the pressure on Maye has shown up in repeated sacks as New England has battled uneven play up front and a run game that has struggled to get traction.
Now the timing gets even more delicate. New England is staring at a matchup with Maxx Crosby and the Raiders, a test that will ask the line to hold up under real strain and give the Patriots enough stability to keep Maye upright while also trying to establish some balance on the ground. For a unit still sorting itself out, this is the kind of week that can reveal whether the fixes were enough or whether more shuffling is still coming. [Read more 🡒]