We are just a few weeks away from the NFL playoffs, and the LA Rams clearly look a cut above their peers. They’ve navigated a fairly tough schedule, sit at 9-2, and look like the team to beat. Even NFL defenders like Maxx Crosby feel the same way.
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Crosby and the Las Vegas Raiders aren’t having a playoff-caliber season, but he can recognize a good team when he sees one. That’s why he’s backing the Rams as the best team in the NFL right now, saying they’ve just got too much talent and firepower for most teams to deal with every week.
In fact, Crosby believes that the Rams can go on and win Super Bowl LX.
“I think the Rams are the favorite,” Crosby said on his podcast The Rush. “Like, I could see them winning the Super Bowl.”
A lot of fans and pundits feel the same way. But what made Crosby so adamant that LA was going to go to the promised land?
“I think the combination of having two legitimate number one receivers with Puka and Davante, having an All-Pro/Pro Bowl running back, having Sean McVay, one of the best offensive minds in football, and coaches in general, and then Matthew Stafford playing at a level that we didn’t even know he could hit,” Crosby said.
He added that the Rams’ defense is young and hungry, with defensive backs stepping up lately. With this in mind, Crosby couldn’t help but admit that the Rams are a complete roster.
However, there are other teams Crosby hasn’t written off yet, most notably the Cincinnati Bengals.
“Joe Burrow, bro, I’d never count out Joe Burrow,” Crosby stated. “I think that team, that offense, they’re able to sling the rock around like crazy. They’re another one of two number one receivers.”
Burrow is set to return this week after missing nine games with turf toe. During that span, the Bengals went 1-8. So, they’re going to need to be perfect from here on out if they want to make the playoffs.
“They gotta be perfect. They gotta damn near win out. But I wouldn’t put it past them. They did it last year and went on a crazy run at the end. So, we’ll see how that shakes out,” Crosby explained.
Last season, the Bengals were 4-8 before winning five straight games to finish at 9-8. But it was too little too late, as they were one win shy of making the playoffs. They face a similar scenario this season, yet now they need to win six straight.
The final team that Crosby mentioned as a sleeper was the Houston Texans.
“Texans are a sleeper, too. Their defense is nasty. They have a similar build to Cleveland. I feel like, just defensively, they got dudes everywhere,” Crosby noted.
It was a great comparison that hit the nail right on the head. Crosby compared Derek Stingley to Denzel Ward, then Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson to Myles Garrett and Maliek Collins. He wrapped up by noting that no wild-card team should want to face the Texans.
All in all, it was an interesting breakdown from one of the best edge rushers in the NFL. Even though his own playoff chances have vanished, it was cool to hear his thoughts on the league. Now we know he’s picking the Rams to win it all, sees the Bengals as a potential surprise, and views the Texans as a dark-horse Super Bowl candidate. Very interesting stuff.
