It is pretty common for an edge rusher to set goals for himself in terms of sack totals. I’m reminded of Bruce Irvin when he played for the Raiders, how every training camp he would set a goal at getting double digit sacks.
It turned out to be a goal Irvin would never reach. Not in his time with the Raiders or otherwise. He reached eight sacks three times, but could never surpass that double digit threshold.
Irvin would be out in 2018 and in 2019, Maxx Crosby entered the fold. Right away, Crosby reached the double digit sack total that was always just out of Irvin’s reach.
It’s all the more ironic being that Crosby claims not to care about his sack totals.
“That doesn’t matter to me,” Crosby said of sack goals. “At the end of the day, it’s what you put on film. When you turn on the film, you can’t hide. That shows who the best is and who isn’t. So, at the end of the day, regardless of my numbers, it doesn’t matter to me.
“I know what it looks like and what it doesn’t look like. And Coach [Rod] Marinelli used to tell me that all the time. It doesn’t matter what numbers you have; you can have zero sacks, but your film is what’s going to stand out. And that’s what the coaches will realize, that’s what the players will realize, and that’s all that matters at the end of the day. . . I just got to be on my best every single play.”
What it looks like is being the only player in the NFL last season to surpass 100 pressures. What it looks like is tying for 4th in the NFL with 30 QB hits, behind only TJ Watt, Myles Garrett, and Nick Bosa. And that looks like a trip to the Pro Bowl and a big investment by the Raiders as the future of their defense.
He did all that despite his eight sacks finishing him outside the top 30 in the league. Those who watch him, not to mention those who have to play against him, know how he impacts the game. Even if he doesn’t finish the play credited with a sack.