Maxx Crosby is coming to town Sunday, and the Miami Dolphins should be worried. Crosby can jack up not just a game but potentially the entire Dolphins season if he consistently gets pressure on Tua Tagovailoa.
And that task should be easier for the two-time All-Pro pass rusher with Kendall Lamm starting at right tackle.
So it’ll be Crosby vs. Lamm in what’s a must-win game for a Dolphins team that, even after a Week 10 win, is still a long shot to make the playoffs (23.9%, per PFN’s Playoff Predictor).
Miami Dolphins Prepare for Maxx Crosby
Austin Jackson was the starting right tackle the last time the Dolphins faced the Las Vegas Raiders — a Week 11 Miami win in 2023 — and Crosby still had a field day.
Maxx’s stat line that day: Six tackles (one for loss), a sack, two quarterback hits, and a batted pass.
But with Jackson out for the season with a knee injury, Lamm will be the one who protects Tagovailoa’s blindside.
It would be coaching malpractice for the Raiders not to have Crosby exclusively rush from that side Sunday — particularly with Terron Armstead having another excellent season at left tackle.
“Tremendous player, tremendous player,” Tagovailoa said Wednesday. “I don’t think there’s anyone in here that [would] say anything bad about Maxx — dude’s got a motor. He’s in basically every play.
“You look back at the game last year and same thing, and it was sort of late in the season so I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect. We’ve definitely got to keep aware of where he is on the field, but as far as timing-wise and how I’m looking at their defense, just play within the timing of the offense.”
While the Raiders are, as expected, terrible, Crosby has been predictably excellent.
Asking a WR in condensed split to block Maxx Crosby is certainly a choice.#RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/EPr37DXwKp
— Ryan Holmes (@Rholm22) November 5, 2024
On the year, Crosby has 6.5 sacks, 34 pressures, 14 hits, 20 hurries, and four passes defensed in 265 offensive dropbacks (12.7% pressure rate). He also has 11 tackles for loss.
On Sunday, Crosby will go up against a Dolphins offensive line that could be without not just Jackson at right tackle but perhaps also Rob Jones at left guard (knee).
Tagovailoa will need to keep his head on a swivel. He has already missed four games this year due to a concussion despite having the NFL‘s fastest release (2.44 seconds).
“Maxx Crosby is probably as disruptive of a player that’s in the National Football League,” Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel said. “I think from an offensive standpoint, it’s not one person’s job in terms of he’s going to move around, and the routes have to be crisp, and Tua’s timing has to be right, all the cylinders to execute against him because he’s not only a talented player, but he’s a high-effort, high-strain player.
“I think that’s one of the better players in the entire league,” McDaniel added. “He is a challenge so you have to be very mindful, and like you’re faced with various challenges in the National Football League week-in, week-out, it’s not one individual’s job although one individual might block him more than other individuals.
“It’s the orchestration of the offense because, bottom line, you have to beat the pass rush however long it takes you to throw to actually execute a pass play. If you take long enough, they will get home regardless of who’s blocking, so I think it’s a collective effort and an attention to technique, fundamentals and details of plan.”
The Kendall Lamm Plan
That might all be true.
But it all starts with Lamm playing well. And in his limited opportunities this year, he has.
In nine games (one start), Lamm has allowed five pressures (6.3%), four hurries, one quarterback hit, and zero sacks in 80 pass-block snaps. But with all due respect to Jared Verse and Braden Fiske — the Rams’ pass rushers who got after Tua in Week 10 — Crosby is on another level.
And so while the Dolphins at some point would like to see more of what rookie Patrick Paul can do, this probably isn’t the best week to experiment.
“I was happy with the way that Kendall played — really all the positions on the football team,” McDaniel said. “I look at it like yeah, so that’s his job. However my job as the head of coaching is that if somebody goes and takes that job somehow, some way or deserves an opportunity, that’s when they get it
“So I think diligently working week-in, week-out can help give someone their best shot. You talk about Patrick, give him his best shot at competing there, but I thought Kendall played winning football which he’s done against all sorts of different opponents at left and right tackle since he’s been here. He’s a consummate pro and very effective.”