Raiders' midseason MVPs in 2023-24
The Las Vegas Raiders haven't had a great start to their season by any means, but we are nine games in, with eight games left, and yet the Raiders are two wins away from topping their 2022 win total. The 4-5 record on the year doesn't quite tell the entire story of the way this […]
The Las Vegas Raiders haven't had a great start to their season by any means, but we are nine games in, with eight games left, and yet the Raiders are two wins away from topping their 2022 win total. The 4-5 record on the year doesn't quite tell the entire story of the way this season has gone. The record would suggest this team is an average one, but before Week 9, they were far from that.
After a change of regime midway through the season, the Raiders came out of Week 9 looking like a completely different team. They now look like a team that can be competent on both sides of the ball. They have guys on both sides of the ball that are amazing.
However, If we are doing team MVPs for the Raiders at the halfway point, and one MVP has to come from every phase of the team, there is no offensive MVP. The Raiders have not had any one player on offense just carry them because everything has been so bad.
But you could say they have two MVPs on defense, and they certainly have a special teams MVP.
Raiders Defensive MVP
Maxx Crosby, DE – This one is as easy as it gets. Not only is Maxx Crosby the Raiders MVP, but he should be in the Defensive Player of the Year Award race. He is one of the best players on the planet right now, no matter what side of the ball you are talking about.
What does MVP mean? Most Valuable Player. Crosby is the most valuable player to this team, no matter if it's offense or defense. You take him off of this team, and the defense is the worst in the league. He has been unbelievable this year, as he is at 9.5 sacks on the year and near the top of any other statistical category you can think of. He's the one defensive MVP, as the defense continues to be the biggest surprise.
Raiders defensive MVP #2
Robert Spillane, LB – The free agent signing from the Pittsburgh Steelers has been the second-best defender on the team. Spillane has shown that he can not only create turnovers, as he has two interceptions on the year, but he can get to the ball. He is second on the team in tackles with 39 and has two sacks.
Spillane was an absolute steal in free agency. Now, here he is, looking like one of the best players on the Raider's defense in 2023-24. He has been unreal, and the Raiders' defense has been good at times, largely because of him.
Raiders Special Team's MVP
A.J. Cole, P – Just on Sunday against the New York Giants alone, Cole set a single-game NFL record with a 63.6 yards per punt average, which is the highest single-game average in NFL history (min. four punts). He was an All-Pro punter last year and has come in and looked stellar this year.
We have talked a lot about the Raiders offensive and defensive struggles in 2023. However, one thing we haven't heard a ton is issues with special teams because there really haven't been any.
Raiders’ Antonio Pierce wins fans over right away in introductory presser
The Raiders fired Josh McDaniels on Tuesday.
