You know the TikTok trend that’s going viral: ‘We listen, and we don’t judge?‘ Well, the Las Vegas Raiders had a disappointingly close 17-19 loss to the Chiefs. But before the game, HC Antonio Pierce spoke to reporters and called his team the “worst team in football.” Clearly, he did not get the simple memo, ‘Don’t call your team the worst one.‘ 

Everyone listened, and they judged. And among everyone who heard was Jon Gruden. The ex-Raiders coach may not have responded to Pierce’s statement directly, but he did not refrain from showering praises on DE Maxx Crosby. Gruden, who resigned as the Raiders HC in 2021, may not be coaching anymore, but is still keeping a keen eye on the current season. And especially on the Silver and Black. After all, after his resignation, he did say how much he loved the Raiders. And the love shows.

Despite the abysmal season the Raiders are having, Gruden decided to look at one of the biggest positives of the team – Maxx Crosby. Taking to X, Gruden shared a picture showing Crosby’s stats and wrote, “What other pass rushers play 100% of the plays in a game? Maxx Crosby’s all out effort and production and stamina is incredible. I hope every young pass rusher pays close attention to it!” To this, the DE responded, “Love You Coach. More Is Required.” Heartwarming!

It was quite The Karate Kid moment, considering Gruden coached Crosby in his rookie season. The star DE sure has come a long way from 2019 when Gruden threatened to cut him during his second week of training camp. This season, he played 100% of the defensive snaps, a rare feat for defensive line NFL players. He also completed his 100th career tackle this season.

But, despite Crosby’s continued efforts, this season has just not been it for the Raiders. Crosby knows it and agrees that “more is required.” In fact, a lot more is required, but virtually nothing can save them this season. Sitting at the bottom of the AFC West with 2-10, they are now the first AFC team to be eliminated from playoff contention.

Is Maxx Crosby’s team really the “worst team”?

You see, when Pierce said, “Let’s call a spade a spade, the best team in football against the worst team in football,” he did not mean it in the literal sense. But that didn’t stop fans from getting angry over it and start firing calls. At this point, who isn’t facing the firing calls? What Pierce tried to say is the “narrative” needs to be changed. The narrative, in this case – calling the Chiefs the best team in football and the Raiders the worst team. Honest mistake, possibly?

But his mistake here was he might have spoken the truth. And that was too close to the home for all Raiders fans. The team is currently on a losing streak and has lost 10 straight games. Their defense is currently ranking near the bottom in several key categories. They rank 29th in points allowed per game, with an average of 27.8 points surrendered. The team is also 14th in passing yards allowed per game, giving up 212.9 yards.

The bigger picture now is to see how the team goes into the 2025 season. Will they take Gruden’s advice and work more on their defensive end? We’ll get to know in the upcoming games!