Ben Roethlisberger has done his homework on the AFC defensive player of the week. That would be Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, who in Monday night’s win against the Ravens joined T.J. Watt as the only AFC players to record five quarterback hits in Week 1.
“Nothing surprises me, because he's from the MAC,” said Roethlisberger, also a product of the Mid-American Conference. “That's where the best football players come from.”
It’s a good bit, but it’s not really what makes the 6-foot-5, 255-pound Crosby a major problem for the Steelers offensive line in Week 2. He plays with violent hands, enough athleticism to run stunts from either side of the line, and a nonstop motor that lends itself well to his nickname (Mad Maxx) and, basically, his entire vibe.
Crosby’s right arm is covered in tattoos, including the Raiders logo, and former defensive coordinator Paul Guenther called him a “crazy son of a bitch” for playing through a broken hand in 2019 — during a preseason game. That was a sign of things to come, considering Crosby played through another broken hand and a torn labrum last season, which might be why he went from 10 sacks as a rookie to seven in 2020. He’s already got two this year after beating up on former Steelers left tackle Alejandro Villanueva, who had a long night playing right tackle against Crosby in the season opener.
“He's a stud,” Roethlisberger said. “You watched what he did. That whole defense, their pass rush — initially, just watching the game, you don't see a lot of blitzes. It's not like they're doing a lot of crazy things. They're just rushing four guys, and their four rushers are really good.”
Keys to victory
To win, the Raiders must…
Pack it tight. Bringing pressure on Ben Roethlisberger and bottling up Najee Harris would force the Steelers to throw deep, something they’ve struggled with since last season.
Drive the Carr. Whether it’s peppering tight end Darren Waller with targets or hitting on a long ball to speedster Henry Ruggs, quarterback Derek Carr will need time in the pocket against a fierce pass rush.
Get on the road. Jon Gruden needs to have his team ready for the dreaded short week/west-to-east combination, with the added factor of a reawakened Steeler Nation on top of that.
To win, the Steelers must…
Rev the engine. Another slow start for the offense could’ve doomed them in Buffalo, so it’s time to get rid of that nasty habit that has carried over from the 2020 season despite a new play-caller.
Pump the brakes. The Steelers blitzed the least of any team in Week 1, but the Raiders were 31st in that category, so a young offensive line must find a way to slow down a ferocious four-man front.
Enjoy the PIT stop. First game in front of a full-capacity home crowd since 2019? Yeah, that should provide more than enough energy to a team that won’t want to let down their fans.
Local ties
• Nick Bowers, undrafted tight end last year out of Penn State, and the last NFL player to come from Kittanning High School before it merged with Ford City to form Armstrong (inactive Week 1)
• Quinton Jefferson, Woodland Hills graduate who had five tackles and one forced fumble last week from his defensive tackle position
• Nick Kwiatkoski, Bethel Park and West Virginia product who had three tackles and one tackle for loss as a backup inside linebacker
• Carl Nassib, former Penn State defensive end who made headlines this offseason as the first openly gay active NFL player, then forced the fumble that set up the winning touchdown in overtime last week
• Nathan Peterman, backup quarterback now that Marcus Mariota is injured and a two-year starter at Pitt
Brian Batko: bbatko@post-gazette.com and Twitter @BrianBatko.
First Published: September 17, 2021, 3:00 p.m.