Maxx Crosby finds ways to help Raiders win without sack

Maxx Crosby made several big plays in the fourth quarter to help seal the Raiders’ 38-20 victory over the Texans on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium.

None of them was a sack.

One of the NFL’s most-feared pass rushers is finding different ways to impact games, which could be a scary thought for opposing offenses that already expend extra resources on making sure he doesn’t get to their quarterback.

“I know how it is, and I know I’m going to get slides and chips and things like that,” Crosby said. “So if there’s any other way I can affect the game, I try to do that. I just want to be the most complete player at my position.”

He went a long way in making that case in the fourth quarter.

The Texans trailed 24-20 with about 12 minutes remaining and facing third-and-1 when Crosby corralled rookie running back Dameon Pierce at the line of scrimmage for no gain.

It was one of four tackles for Crosby, who has turned a weakness from early in his career into a strength by becoming an asset in the run game.

Houston then lined up to go for it on fourth down from its 33-yard line only to have Crosby wreak havoc on those plans.

Crosby danced around the line of scrimmage and then shifted late, which caught the attention of rookie first-round pick Kenyon Green.

The left guard exploded out of his stance to try to deal with Crosby, but the ball had yet to be snapped. A 5-yard false start penalty moved the Texans back 5 yards, and coach Lovie Smith changed his mind and punted.

“I was just playing around a little bit, and they kind of bit,” Crosby said of drawing the penalty. “It’s part of the game. They jumped, and that was it. It was a big moment in the game.”

The Raiders offense took advantage, driving the length of the field and scoring a touchdown to extend the lead to 31-20.

Crosby then batted down a pass at the line of scrimmage to prevent what appeared to be a likely completion on the next series for the Texans. The drive ended in an interception that Duron Harmon returned for a touchdown.

“Especially in those critical moments, I know you have to be someone who steps up,” Crosby said. “That’s what I pride myself on. No matter if it’s fourth down or whatever it is, if we need a play, I want to be the guy my teammates can rely on.”

The plays made by Crosby and the rest of the defense down the stretch were enough to overcome a slow start that allowed the Texans to not punt until the fourth quarter.

“We’ve been talking all season about being that close and finishing the games we should have won,” Crosby said. “We just found a way to finish and capitalize and stick together. … We put the time in and now we just have to keep going.”

Of course, Crosby won’t go too far from his roots. Plan A remains finding a way to sack the quarterback. He didn’t get one Sunday, which broke a streak of four consecutive games with at least one.

Crosby was also looking to become just the third player in franchise history to record at least two sacks in three straight games.

He did, however, record three quarterback hurries.

“For me, I know everyone says, ‘Oh, he’s a pass rusher,’” Crosby said. “Obviously, when you talk about edge players, you talk about getting to the quarterback and, of course, that’s super important to get him down.”

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.