Raiders report: Star non-committal about playing status Sunday
Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby missed his second straight practice Thursday as he works through the high-ankle sprain he suffered in his team’s 26-23 win in Baltimore on Sept. 15.
Crosby, who has never missed a game in his career, did not commit to playing Sunday against the Browns. He’s just focused on recovering from a painful injury.
“I’m not even worried about that right now. I’m just worried about today,” said Crosby, who usually insists he will be on the field no matter what. “So every single day I’ve been in here. It’s first in, last out, doing everything I can to get healthy. That’s all I’m worried about right now.”
Crosby played through the pain in the Raiders’ 36-22 loss to the Panthers on Sept. 22. But it was clear he wasn’t right.
Crosby, who almost never takes a play off, missed 13 defensive snaps in the loss. He also didn’t have his usual impact. He failed to record a quarterback hit or a tackle for loss for the first time in more than a year.
“That’s the hardest part,” Crosby said. “I play one way and when you’re not able to do certain things, it’s tough. I did everything I could to try to produce and I feel like I did some good things, but it’s tough. I have a damn Timberland boot-sized wrapping on my leg and it’s tough, but at the end of the day, I don’t complain. Like I said, I’m focused on getting healthy, just taking it one day at a time.”
Sunday’s game could feature two of the NFL’s best defensive ends if they’re able to take the field.
Myles Garrett, the reigning defensive player of the year, is a question mark for Cleveland given he’s dealing with Achilles, foot and thigh injuries. Garrett did practice on a limited basis Thursday after sitting out Wednesday.
The debate as to whether Crosby or Garrett is a better football player is a fascinating one. But Crosby insists there’s no competition when it comes to which is better at basketball.
“Me, for sure,” said Crosby, who, like Garrett, is known for appearing in viral hoops videos. “I haven’t played against him, but I’m just taking myself. He is a freak athlete, though. I won’t lie. I feel like if they were to pick two bigs in the league to be on a starting five, I feel like me and him would be a crazy duo.”
Jones unfazed by online attention
Raiders coach Antonio Pierce called out members of his team for making “business decisions” late in the Panthers loss.
Social media sleuths soon identified cornerback Jack Jones as one of the players Pierce could have been referring to. The video of one fourth-quarter play in particular made the rounds as Jones appeared to back off instead of trying to make a tackle.
Jones posted a comment responding to the criticism on X, formerly known as Twitter, but later took down his response.
“I deleted it, so I’m not tripping about it,” Jones said. “Twitter is its own world. People are going to do what they want. It’s up to the coaches to decide on our performance. It’s out of my control. I did what I did. Now it’s in the past, so we’re going to move on.”
Jones said he doesn’t respond to social media chatter often. Pierce’s opinion is a different story, but Jones said he’s OK with his coach saying what he wants about the team’s performance.
“It’s up to him,” said Jones, who has known Pierce since he was in high school. “He’s the coach. I’m a player.”
Injury report
Star wide receiver Davante Adams was added to Thursday’s injury report with a hamstring issue.
The injury likely occurred during practice since Adams did not appear on the injury report Wednesday. He was also present for the start of Thursday’s practice and was a limited participant.
Tight end Michael Mayer missed Thursday’s practice for personal reasons. Linebacker Divine Deablo (oblique) and right tackle Thayer Munford Jr. (knee/ankle) also did not practice.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.