The Las Vegas Raiders will face the Cleveland Browns on Sunday without their two best players as pass rusher Maxx Crosby (ankle) and wide receiver Davante Adams (hamstring) will take the week off, coach Antonio Pierce announced before Friday’s practice.
Crosby played with a high ankle sprain against the Carolina Panthers last week and was ineffective, while Adams tweaked his hamstring during Thursday’s practice. Crosby will miss the first home game of his six-year career. He said Thursday that he was frustrated last week against the Panthers.
“I play one way and when you’re not able to do certain things, it’s tough,” Crosby said. “But I did everything … to try to produce and I feel like I did some things, some good things, but it’s tough. I have a damn Timberland boot-size wrapping on my leg … and it’s, it’s tough”
Tyree Wilson, last year’s first-round pick, will try to replace Crosby’s pass rush, and he gets a break as the Browns, who will be without their two starting offensive tackles. Jakobi Meyers and speedster Tre Tucker, who had a 54-yard catch last week, will get more targets with Adams out, though rookie tight end Brock Bowers likely takes over as option one.
The Raiders were already missing pass rusher Malcolm Koonce and safety Marcus Epps, who are out for the season with knee injuries. They will also be without linebacker Divine Deablo (oblique). Las Vegas started linebacker Luke Masterson in Deablo’s place.
Masterson didn’t play well, so perhaps the Raiders could lean more on rookies Amari Gainer and Tommy Eichenberg this week. Overall, Las Vegas will be without four starters against Cleveland.
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The Raiders didn’t have any interest in free agent and former Las Vegas pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue, who signed last week with the Baltimore Ravens practice squad. Las Vegas felt that 2020 first-round pick K’Lavon Chaisson, who the team signed to its practice squad earlier, was a better fit for its scheme and will get some run Sunday.
“I don’t know,” Pierce said when asked for a timetable on Adams’ return. “I just know he’s out for this week.”
Without Adams, the Raiders’ top trio of receivers will consist of Meyers, Tucker and DJ Turner. Fellow receivers Tyreik McAllister and Ramel Keyton have both been inactive for the last two games, but at least one of them will likely now be active against Cleveland for depth purposes.
While Las Vegas has players to replace him this week, losing Adams is a big blow for an offense that’s already been struggling to get things going. They’re averaging just 19.3 points per game (tied for 17th) and 5.0 yards per play (22nd). Plus, the Raiders’ offense will also be without starting right tackle Thayer Munford (knee/ankle) and tight end Michael Mayer (personal).
When asked for more details about why Mayer won’t play, Pierce declined to elaborate. Rookie DJ Glaze will start in Munford’s place while veteran tight end Harrison Bryant will be the backup behind Bowers.
The Browns’ defense has been leaky this season, but they now have a clear matchup advantage over Las Vegas’ offense. The Raiders will need to get a historically anemic rushing attack going, give quarterback Gardner Minshew more time to throw and feed the rock to Bowers to have a chance of putting up enough points to compete this week.
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(Photo: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)
