The Las Vegas Raiders monitored and managed Crosby's snap count, and the approach seemed to work well.
The Las Vegas Raiders accomplished a lot over the weekend, and it wasn’t just about their 27-13 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. The Raiders also managed to clear up an issue that’s been hanging over the team for most of the year — the medical issues facing defensive end after the rescinded trade that had him going to the Baltimore Ravens.
The Raiders did a good job of managing Crosby’s snap count, as Sam Warren of The Athletic noted. He played in 46 of the Raiders’ 56 defensive snaps on Sunday, which was just the fourth time that Crosby’s snap count was 82 percent or lower since 2023. He’s been a high-volume warrior, but that seemed to change against Miami.
Warren also noted that there didn’t seem to be a pattern involved in when Crosy was off the field. He played in the defense’s first two appearances in full, as the Raiders forced two punts. He then sat out the first drive, and Miami proceeded to gain 34 yards and enter Raiders territory.
Coach Klint Kubiak provided no answers when he was asked why Crosby was out for the first part of that last drive.
“That’s just my call,” Kubiak said.
It seems safe to assume that the medical staff is monitoring this, but it’s also impossible to confirm. But Crosby was happy with the results and so are the Raiders, which is what matters most at the moment.
“It was amazing, I’ve been waiting a long time,” Crosby said of how he felt postgame. “It’s been a long rehab, long offseason, a lot of things that I had to go through, a lot of hurdles and things that I don’t think the everyday person gets to really see and the true grind of that.
“But I got to credit all the people around me that helped me get back out on that field. Had the best time. It’s just back playing football, doing what I love the most, and we definitely could do better. But off to a good start.”
The inconsistency of the Miami offense was a big part of what made this work, but that goes out the window this weekend when the Raiders head to LA to meet the Los Angeles Chargers. Justin Herbert is a far different quarterback than Malik Willis, and it will be interesting to see if Las Vegas goes back to a heavy usage plan for Crosby this week.
