The Las Vegas Raiders lost their fourth straight game Sunday, dropping a 35-21 decision to the Los Angeles Rams at Allegiant Stadium. After opening the season 3-0, the Raiders now sit at 3-4 and below .500 for the first time in 2026.
Defensive end Maxx Crosby addressed the team’s slide afterward, stressing the need for immediate improvement amid inconsistent play.
“You just got to keep finding ways to get better,” Crosby said. “We’re not playing good enough right now—too many ups and downs, starting slow in the second half for the last couple of weeks. We got to find solutions fast; we have another opportunity against the Jets. We all got to look in the mirror and be better.”
The Raiders converted just 3 of 14 third-down attempts. The Rams, meanwhile, scored touchdowns on all five of their red-zone trips.
Los Angeles rushed for 199 yards as a team. Kyren Williams carried for 99 yards and a touchdown, while Blake Corum added 93 yards and a score. Neither back reached 100 yards, but the combined production controlled the game.
Crosby rejected any notion of internal finger-pointing after the loss.
“We’re not worried about that,” Crosby said. “We’re not that type of locker room at all. We have great guys in this locker room. I think everyone just has to look in the mirror and figure out ways to get better. We know as a team we can be a lot better, and we have to find solutions.”
Through seven games this season, Crosby has recorded 2.0 sacks and 14 total tackles, according to ESPN. He entered the year as one of the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterbacks after signing a three-year extension in 2025.
The Rams held the lead throughout, limiting opportunities for the Raiders’ pass rush. Crosby said the inability to stop the run was the biggest defensive shortcoming.
“We just didn’t get into any situation to help ourselves; we started slow,” Crosby said. “We wanted to start fast, but they played with the lead the whole time. They had almost zero drop-back passes, and we wanted to rush them, but we didn’t get many opportunities.
“But it starts with us, so we have to be able to stop the run. I have to watch the film, but overall, it wasn’t good enough at all. We couldn’t stop the run, and it’s really disappointing. We have to learn from it and get better from it real fast.”
The Raiders travel to face the New York Jets in Week 8. The Jets are 2-5 after a 28-25 loss to the Miami Dolphins, who improved to 1-5 with their first win of the season.
Las Vegas has its bye in Week 13. Before that, the schedule includes the Jets, a road game against the San Francisco 49ers and a home matchup with the Seattle Seahawks.
Crosby said the group understands the urgency. The Raiders have shown flashes of competitiveness but have yet to string together consistent results on either side of the ball.
Stopping the run and converting on third down will be priorities if the team hopes to reverse its current trajectory.
