The Las Vegas Raiders are gearing up for a pivotal Week 14 showdown against the Denver Broncos, desperate to snap their brutal 10-game losing streak against AFC West rivals—the longest active skid in the entire NFL. Amid a season riddled with injuries, the Silver and Black have relied heavily on their defensive stalwart, Maxx Crosby, who’s been a beacon of consistency. But when Crosby landed on the injury report and skipped practices on Thursday and Friday, fans held their breath, fearing the worst for the Broncos matchup.
Fortunately, the Raiders dropped some welcome news on Friday. Head coach Pete Carroll confirmed that Crosby is locked in and ready to suit up. “Maxx is going to play,” Carroll assured reporters. “I can’t believe not playing. We really wanted to maximize the rest opportunity here. He’s planning on playing.” This update is a massive boost for a defense that’s been hanging on by a thread, as Crosby’s relentless motor could be the key to turning the tide in this divisional clash.
However, the injury report wasn’t all sunshine and silver linings. In a disappointing twist, tight end Michael Mayer has been officially ruled out, marking his fourth missed game of the season. The Raiders’ passing game takes another hit with rookie wide receiver Dont’e Thornton also sidelined due to a concussion. Thornton’s debut year has fallen short of expectations, exacerbating the team’s already thin wideout depth. To make matters worse, wide receiver Alex Bachman won’t be available either, leaving Las Vegas scrambling for options in the receiving corps.
Amid the setbacks, there’s a silver lining emerging on the defensive front: Jonah Laulu is turning heads. The second-year defensive tackle has quietly climbed to second on the team with 4.0 sacks, flashing the kind of potential that could solidify him as a cornerstone for the future. His teammates are taking notice of his rapid growth.
“He’s getting more instinctual,” fellow defensive tackle Thomas Booker IV shared via Raiders.com. “That allows him to play more fluid, and allows him to make more plays because he’s seeing things more quickly and he’s playing more calm. I think that happens to all of us as the year goes along – you play more football, your muscle memory’s going up and as a result, it allows you to play with instincts and not thinking. Every elite athlete is better when he’s playing and not thinking.”
For Laulu, a Las Vegas native, suiting up for his hometown team adds an extra layer of thrill. He vividly recalled the rush of his first game at Allegiant Stadium: “First is a surge of excitement. You’re filled with energy. Excited. Happy. Getting to the quarterback, especially from the interior, is as hard as it is already. And then you celebrate with your guys and then afterwards, then you get hit with the tired. You’re like, ‘Whoa, I’m tired now.’ Maxx even says it himself – because he never gets tired – the only time you get tired is when you celebrate, because you just get so excited.”
At just 25 years old and in only his second NFL season, Laulu’s trajectory is upward. If he continues disrupting offenses and racking up plays, he could evolve into the impact defender the Raiders desperately need. In a franchise starving for reliable talent on the line, Laulu’s emergence might just be the spark that ignites a brighter future for Las Vegas. As the Broncos loom, all eyes will be on whether the Raiders can finally break their divisional curse—or if the injury bug bites even harder.