Two of the NFL's best pass rushers will go head-to-head on Sunday when the Browns travel to Las Vegas to face the Raiders.
Browns DE Myles Garrett won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in 2023, and DE Maxx Crosby finished close behind, earning the fourth-most votes for the award. Crosby said Thursday that the two have gotten to know each other over the years.
"I got a ton of respect for him," Crosby said. "Hell of a player. Me and him, we've spent a lot of time the last few years at the Pro Bowl together, different events, NFL Honors, all different type of things. Me and him, we've got a good relationship. He's an incredible player, got everything you could imagine from a skillset standpoint, athleticism, strength, everything, he's just a hell of a player. When you have a guy like that line up on the other side, it's a healthy competition."
Garrett has been battling foot, Achilles and thigh injuries throughout the week. Regardless, the pass rusher has still been a threat each time he steps on the field.
Raiders WR Davante Adams, a three-time All-Pro player, called Garrett a future Hall of Famer. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy called the Browns defensive end the "best player in the league."
With a defensive line that ranks in the top five in quarterback pressure rate and time to pressure, the Browns defense present challenges to a Raiders offense that has struggled against pressure so far this season.
QB Gardner Minshew attributed much of the Browns defense's success to the aggressive scheme of defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.
"It's Coach Schwartz, man," Minshew said on Wednesday. "He's always been one of the best defensive coordinators in the league. Their scheme's super solid, they got good players at all levels. So, they present a challenge."
On the other side of the ball, the Browns announced that both tackles Jedrick Wills Jr. and Jack Conklin will not play in Sunday's game.
Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham said that not knowing who will start on the offensive line has been a challenge in preparing to face the Browns.
"With the moving pieces, that's the first thing, we gotta know who's in front of us," Graham said on Thursday. "So, there's definitely some juggling that around and making sure we know the people they're going to deploy out there and get to know them a little bit more. But in terms of strategy, you might force some more communication on the o-line through different things. But they practice too, they know their situation just like the other 31 teams dealing with it."
If the offensive line is able to protect QB Deshaun Watson, his increasing chemistry with WR Amari Cooper could present a challenge to the Raiders. After starting the season with just five receptions in the first two games, Cooper put together a two touchdown, 86-yard performance against the Giants in Week 3.
"He's a really good player," Graham said of Cooper. "They utilize him in key situations. The ability to catch the ball in traffic, he's fast. They can move him in different spots and the quarterback trusts him in those critical situations. Still a dynamic player in this league, he's proven it for a long time and it's fun to go against that kind of competition."
