INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Maxx Crosby looked down at the image of Al Davis on his shirt as he sat in front of his locker Sunday. He has spent his career studying what the Raiders used to be, listening to stories about the man who made winning an expectation and trying to honor a standard established long before he arrived. After a 26-14 victory over the Chargers, he had another reason to believe those stories might finally have some company.
The Raiders are 2-0 for the first time since 2021, the only season of Crosby’s career that ended in a playoff appearance. He helped put this game away by forcing a fourth-quarter safety, then celebrated on the field with his teammates. For someone who has endured six head coaches across two cities and played in only one postseason game, those are the moments he has been working toward: a chance to finish a game that matters, with a team capable of putting him in that position.
Two wins don’t guarantee the Raiders anything in January. Crosby knows that better than most. But watching him celebrate, then listening to him talk about coach Klint Kubiak, quarterback Kirk Cousins and the players around him, it was easy to understand why this start means something.
Crosby has long given the Raiders someone they could count on. This team is beginning to give him more people he can count on, too.
“He means everything,” Crosby told The Sporting Tribune, looking down at Davis’ image. “He’s the shield, he’s what Raider Nation is and what it’s all about.”
Crosby never played for Davis, who died in 2011. Along with offensive lineman Kolton Miller and punter A.J. Cole, he is one of only three players remaining from the Raiders’ final season in Oakland. His connection to the franchise’s past has come through his relationship with Mark Davis and conversations with equipment and training staff members who were around when Al Davis ran the organization.
“Hearing those stories is something I love because I love football, man. I know the history,” Crosby said. “I take the time to go out of my way to learn the game. And ever since I got here, man, I want to be everything that a Raider is.”
He has embraced that responsibility. The next step is experiencing the part of that history that has remained beyond his reach. The Raiders haven’t won a playoff game since the AFC championship game in January 2003. Crosby wants to represent their tradition, and winning would give him the opportunity to add to it.
What made Sunday encouraging was how many players had a hand in getting the Raiders there. Cody White caught two touchdown passes. Rookie cornerback Hezekiah Masses made an immediate impact in his first start. Nakobe Dean forced a fumble after a 12-men-on-the-field penalty had given the Chargers another opportunity. Cousins pushed the ball downfield, and Crosby helped deliver the finish.
The penalty was precisely the kind of mistake that can unravel a team on the road against a division opponent. Crosby called it unacceptable. Kubiak did, too. But the defense responded with a takeaway, giving the Raiders something constructive to point to alongside the correction waiting in the film room.
“A big shout out to N’Kobe responding, making a huge play, and just the guys not panicking in any type of situation,” Crosby said. “I think we have a lot of confidence.”
That confidence also showed up in Kubiak’s decisions. He stayed aggressive before halftime, when the Raiders came away with a field goal. He went for it on fourth down and had a trick play ready to create an explosive gain. His players could see the trust behind those calls.
“We all complement each other,” Kubiak said. “In order to win, you have to play great in all three phases. We know that if we don’t get it done on offense, our defense has our back, our special teams are going to make a play. That’s how it has to be.”
For Crosby, that makes the arrival of Cousins particularly important. A defense benefits from more than the points its offense scores. It benefits from the belief that the quarterback can respond, create a play and handle the difficult moments that inevitably come.
“Kirk’s been a great piece for this team, and he’s a great leader,” Crosby said. “We love it as a defense, seeing the offense move the ball and put the ball in the end zone.”
Cousins has helped the Raiders win their first two games without Brock Bowers, one of their best players. Kubiak said the tight end is “very close” to returning. In the meantime, other players have had an opportunity to show how much they can contribute, including White, whose two touchdown catches gave Crosby another teammate to celebrate afterward.
“He comes in, he has all the energy in the world,” Crosby said of White. “He’s been helping us win games.”
There is something fitting about Crosby enjoying this moment in Los Angeles, where so much of the Raiders’ history still feels present. The franchise has moved twice since leaving Southern California, but its connection to the region remains unmistakable. The reception at SoFi Stadium made an impression on a coach experiencing it from the Raiders’ sideline.
“I’ve never been to a road game like that,” Kubiak said. “When we came out of the tunnel they were screaming and it sends chills down your spine knowing you have that support. We’re extremely grateful and we know every day we go on the field, we have to earn their trust and earn their respect.”
Crosby understands how much that loyalty deserves. He also understands the distance between a promising September and a season that rewards it. There are 15 games left, and Cousins offered a useful reminder about how narrow the margin can be.
“The difference between 2-0 and 0-2 could be two plays, one in each game,” Cousins said. “We got to find those inches. We got to finish.”
On Sunday, Crosby helped the Raiders do exactly that. He made the play, celebrated with his teammates and returned to his locker wearing the image of the man whose expectations still define the franchise.
Crosby has heard plenty of stories about what it meant to win as a Raider. With Kubiak, Cousins and a growing group of teammates giving him reason to believe, he may finally have a team that can help him write his own.