Las Vegas Raiders DE Maxx Crosby is an old-school defensive end in a new-school world. He plays the run as hard as the pass. He doesn’t come off the field and he plays with an intensity that garners respect across the NFL.
That attitude, in part, comes from watching the mid-2000s Pittsburgh Steelers battle the Baltimore Ravens. Sitting down with former NFL linebacker Lavar Arrington, Crosby cited his football influences.
“For me, I grew up watching Pittsburgh Steelers versus Ravens,” Crosby told Arrington. “All of those guys. The James Harrison’s. The Terrell Suggs’. Guys like that. I have a respect for the game in the way it’s supposed to be played.”
Though the Steelers-Ravens rivalry remains one of football’s best, its peak came in the 2000s and early 2010s. They were two teams that respected each other but certainly didn’t like one another, and that was felt each time they took the field. The intensity, the passion, the never-say-die attitude. That was James Harrison. That was Terrell Suggs. It was Hines Ward, Ben Roethlisberger, Troy Polamalu, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. Their repeated close games always coming down to the wire heightened the rivalry, with those contests almost always having something meaningful on the line. That continued in 2023 with the Steelers needing a win in Week 18 to bolster their playoff chances.
Reflecting on the state of the game, Crosby was concerned that history — which wasn’t even that long ago — is missed by those younger than him.
“It’s a love and respect of the history of the game…you ask some of these young guys who is the all-time sack leader? And they have no idea.”
If you weren’t sure, the answer is Bruce Smith’s 200. In fairness, every generation probably shares the same concern about the younger one after them. But there’s no question that Crosby appreciates the game. His body shows it. In the interview, he wore a brace over his right hand and forearm, the result of offseason surgery after battling injury all year. He still finished with a career-high 14.5 sacks, a mark that would make anyone who was part of the Steelers-Ravens rivalry offer an approving nod.
Check out the whole conversation below.
