Maxx Crosby spoke after the Las Vegas Raiders’ 26-14 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday and framed the team’s 2-0 start as a good beginning rather than a finished product.
The Raiders beat their AFC West rival at SoFi Stadium and have held both opponents to 14 points or fewer through two weeks. Crosby’s own box-score line was modest, yet his presence helped produce multiple penalties on Chargers tackle Joe Alt, including a holding call in the end zone that resulted in a safety.
Crosby told reporters the early record felt right for the reasons players compete.
“It’s amazing. That’s why you play this game. You play to win. We got a lot of work to do. I think we all know that. Starting 2-0 is a good start. We know we’re going to enjoy this tonight and on the way back, and then it’s right back to work,” Crosby said.
“New Orleans is a really good team, and they’ve had a lot of success so far. They won today against Baltimore, I believe, and they got a lot of young talent on that team. So we definitely got some work to do. Need another great week of work and go capitalize on another opportunity.”
Las Vegas now prepares for a Week 3 trip to face the Saints. The Raiders last opened 2-0 in 2021. Kirk Cousins threw for 253 yards and three touchdowns on 19-of-29 passing, giving the offense enough points while the defense created turnovers.
Linebackers Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker each finished with 10 tackles. Dean forced a fumble by Omarion Hampton that Jeremy Chinn recovered, setting up a late touchdown. Crosby pointed to their backgrounds when asked about the new tandem.
“[Dean is] a winner,” Crosby said. “He’s been a winner his whole life. He’s been in Georgia, Philly, and bringing a guy like that, Quay Walker, there’s a lot of guys that have had a lot of success in this league and know what winning looks like. So having those guys on our defense and being a part of this culture is evident. So they’re doing a great job.”
Hezekiah Masses recorded two interceptions and five tackles. Malcolm Koonce led the team with 1.5 sacks and Eric Stokes added another. The unit forced three Chargers turnovers and limited Justin Herbert to 192 passing yards.
Herbert completed 15 of 27 passes with one touchdown and two interceptions. Hampton ran for 94 yards and a score on 23 carries but lost the fumble that swung field position in the fourth quarter. Los Angeles finished with 310 yards and eight penalties.
The Raiders produced 305 yards and held the ball for 27 minutes, 43 seconds. Tre Tucker caught five passes for 119 yards and a 40-yard touchdown. Cody White scored twice on short throws from Cousins after being elevated from the practice squad.
Cousins has six touchdown passes in two games, matching a franchise mark set by Ken Stabler in 1976. The defense has allowed 13.5 points per game. Those numbers formed the backdrop for Crosby’s remarks about enjoying the night and then returning to work.
A late safety off the Alt holding penalty made the score 26-14 with 1:41 left. Las Vegas knelt out the clock. The Chargers dropped to 0-2, the first such start of Jim Harbaugh’s coaching career.
Crosby’s comments stayed focused on process. He credited teammates who stepped up when the pass rush did not produce a high sack total from him personally and stressed that New Orleans presents another test.
The Raiders sit tied with Kansas City atop the AFC West. Their next opponent, the Saints, also showed early success. Crosby’s message after the win was that 2-0 only matters if the team treats the coming week with the same urgency.
Las Vegas mixed run and pass behind Ashton Jeanty’s 21 carries for 48 yards and converted enough third downs to keep drives alive. The secondary and linebackers supplied the takeaways that let the offense operate with shorter fields.
Crosby’s postgame tone mixed satisfaction with a reminder that the schedule does not pause. The Raiders will practice this week with a 2-0 record and a clear next target already identified.
