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Maxx Crosby loses it as Raiders descend into turmoil with firing decision after Pete Carroll’s bizarre interview
Things are unravelling fast in the desert, and they erupted in spectacular fashion in Week 12.
A game against the Cleveland Browns appeared to offer veteran Geno Smith the perfect opportunity to snap a four-game losing streak – instead things got heated as Las Vegas dropped to 2-9.
Instead, though, it was rookie Shedeur Sanders who left Allegiant Stadium with a win in his first NFL start.
He made the plays the Browns needed, passing for 209 yards and a touchdown to help his team overcome the Raiders, who are part-owned by Tom Brady, 24-10.
Smith, meanwhile, was sacked a ridiculous 10 times as Myles Garrett ran riot for Cleveland’s defense.
The defensive end, who signed a $160 million contract extension ahead of the 2025 season, showed out in Sin City.
And that left another of the league’s top DEs seething on the opposite sideline.
Raiders star clashes with teammate in heated moment
Maxx Crosby by no means had a bad game Sunday, and had a personal-high five tackles for loss against the Browns.
But in the end, that meant little as Cleveland picked up a comfortable win, and the four-time Pro Bowler made his frustrations clear on the sideline.
Footage showed Crosby arguing with Elandon Roberts during the game.
The pair appeared to exchange words, although it remains unclear exactly what was said.
Raiders defensive coordinator Pat Graham was seen standing between Crosby and Roberts, and other teammates encouraged both men to walk away before they eventually separated.
The heated scene summed up the dysfunction that has shrouded the team this season, and a brutal loss to the Browns was also the final straw for the front office too.
Raiders make big decision following Browns horror show
Las Vegas fired Chip Kelly hours after Sunday’s game, dismissing their offensive coordinator just 11 games into his first season with the team.
His unit has struggled in 2025, and the Raiders are tied for last in the NFL in points per game (15.0) and rank 30th in total yards per game (268.9).
With rookie running back Ashton Jeanty, the team is also 31st in rushing yards per game (79.5) and they rank 28th in red zone efficiency.
Sunday was the fifth time Kelly’s offense put up 10 or fewer points in a game this season, which also saw them shut out against the Kansas City Chiefs last month.
“I spoke with Chip Kelly earlier this evening and informed him of his release as offensive coordinator of the Raiders,” head coach Pete Carroll said in a statement released by the team last night.
“I would like to thank Chip for his service and wish him all the best in the future.”
Carroll did not name a new coordinator in his statement, but his postgame press conference also caught attention for the wrong reasons.
Pete Carroll hits out at NFL refs after Browns loss
The head coach was asked by reporters what he could say to ‘reassure’ fans after dropping to 2-9, and insisted ‘something good’ is coming, before hitting out at Sunday’s refereeing crew.
“Something good is just about to happen, and if you can hold onto that mentality, then you keep believing that you can turn and make things happen,” Carroll said.
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“That’s kind of what has guided me for all these years. I’ve never been here, but it doesn’t change… That’s the approach, that’s the outlook.
“We had opportunities to make big plays, and we didn’t hit them. QB was under duress the entire time, so our ability to match up with their pass rush didn’t work out well.
“We’re really disappointed that we weren’t able to find the place that could have given us the field change and the switch so that you have a chance to knock one in and get out of there.
“Unfortunately, this is a crew that calls the most penalties in the NFL, and they hit right on their head, their number that they always call.
“We knew that; we had a strategy about it. We were trying to stay out of their targets, their sight lines, and we didn’t get it done.
“We endured a number of penalties, but there were a couple really big ones that really made a difference in the game and changed the field position drastically.”
The Raiders committed 13 penalties for a total of 109 yards against the Browns, and Carroll clearly believes some of those were soft.
But Las Vegas, sitting at 2-9, has bigger things to worry about than the crews that officiate their games each week.
Finding a new OC and stopping the slide, rather than calling out refs, should be Carroll’s main focus.
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