Los Raiders They play a very important match against the Bengals this Sunday at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. Two teams that have faced a very complicated season and that have hope in this match to get back on track or that could be fatal in their aspirations.
A key duel will take place between Joe Burrow y Maxx Crosbyprobably the two best players in Cincinnati and vegasrespectively. It will be a reunion after their last game three years ago, with a certain feeling of revenge for the pass rusher.
The antecedent
It was in January 2021 that the Cincinnati Bengals eliminated the Las Vegas Raiders in the wild card roundby winning 26-19. From that generation, Maxx Crosby is part of that group of eight players who is still on the team, with one sack, two tackles for loss of yards and two hits on the quarterback.
On Burrow’s part, The quarterback finished the game with 244 yardstwo touchdown passes and a historic playoff win, the first for that team in 20 years. Crosby will return to Paycor Stadium for the first time since that meeting, hoping to find revenge and for the team to climb the ranks in a season in which they have two wins against six losses.
Stop Joey Cool
The Bengals have won three games and lost five, a season of many contrasts due to defensive inconsistency and an offense that has also been erratic in important moments. But that doesn’t change the fact that the quarterback will be the most important player for the Raiders’ game plan.
it’s 2024, Joe Burrow is in the top 5 in completions (185)completion percentage (70.3), touchdown passes (15) and passer rating (75.4), heading towards having one of his best seasons in the NFL, despite this irregularity with respect to the rest of the team.
“He doesn’t flinch. If he sees a high pass, the ball goes out. Sees the high pass, makes the right throwhe makes a control pass and receives the ball in the middle of the field,” acknowledged Antonio Pierce, head coach of the Raiders, in a press conference. “The most important thing is that he has surprised me with his athletic ability. The other day against the Giants, he scored a 50-yard touchdown and beat a linebacker, Isaiah Simmons, who runs 4.3 seconds. Burrow is competitive, tough, smart, even fighting all injuries. “He’s a special player, so we have to interrupt him, make him uncomfortable and make sure he doesn’t have easy targets.”
The one who is going to pressure him
Maxx Crosby He is also having a great season on an individual level, being among the top ten defensive players in terms of sacks (6.5) and tackles for loss (10). According to ESPN, his rim-running stoppage win rate (37 percent), as well as the ninth-best rim-running win rate (22 percent).
His constant pressure will be necessary, because every second against Burrow could be the difference. NFL Next Gen Stats reports that Joe completes 59.6 percent of his passes under pressureThat is, the fourth best record in the NFL among quarterbacks with at least 70 passes.
The key for the Raiders to win this game could lie in that confrontation between two of the brightest minds in American football on the field: a Burrow vs. Crosby duel that promises a lot.
RGS
