England opening batter Crawley suggested he had no knowledge of statements from captain Stokes about the dressing room not being "those lacking fortitude".
Stokes delivered those words in several interviews following his team's loss in the second match of the Ashes series versus Australia previously.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, where England now face defeat with a match to spare, the captain stated he had allowed his sentiment to "circulate freely" among the squad.
"I've done all the talking over the past two days that I required," remarked the England leader.
But, following the opener scored 85 on the penultimate day in the third Test, he stated: "I missed those remarks."
"I wasn't actively searching for it. We take anything stated in the press with a pinch of salt," Crawley continued.
Raw Conversations and Steady Philosophy
The captain made the "weak men" observation after his side were beaten in the second Test to go 2-0 down.
The England squad subsequently went on a holiday to a Queensland resort in the gap between the second and third matches.
Prior to this match, he revealed his team had held "honest" talks and he had urged them to "show a bit of dog" in their battle to stay alive in the series.
Nevertheless, the Kent batsman stated the messaging from Stokes and coach McCullum had stayed consistent with their previous tenure in charge.
"The atmosphere has been very positive, unchanged," said the opener. "It's just trying to be optimistic, playing our brand, with great liberty. It felt like we could do an extraordinary feat entering this game."
The Hosts Close of Rapid Series Victory
The opener's dismissal late on Saturday was part of a crucial three-wicket burst by Australia spinner Lyon.
Lyon's triple strike in a short spell – he also bowled Brook and Stokes himself – meant England 207-6 in pursuit of a daunting target of 435 runs.
Consequently, the home team require four wickets on the final day to move to an unassailable three-nil lead after three matches played.
Defeat would prolong England's winless run in Australia to 18 Tests and condemn them to a fourth successive away Ashes series defeat.
The current battle is set to be decided in just 11 days of play – after England fell the initial matches in rapid time each.
Not since 1921, when the Australians completed victory in England in eight days, has the destination of the urn been determined so quickly. The hosts have also won in 11 days on two other instances in the modern era.
"It's disheartening," admitted Crawley. "We came here to win the Ashes and now we are facing elimination at this point."
"There will still be significant pride at stake and we'll definitely view it with that mindset," Crawley added.
"It's been difficult. They're a very, very good team. It was always going to be hard touring here against them. They entered as the front-runners coming in to it have demonstrated their quality."
Ollie Pope's Place In Question
While the opener's performance in Adelaide probably answers questions about his immediate place in the England team, Ollie Pope looks under immense pressure for his spot in the Melbourne Test on Boxing Day.
The Surrey batsman was out for 17 in the team's second innings on day four, extending his modest returns versus the old enemy.
In 16 Ashes innings, the Surrey man has failed to score a half-century and averages just 17.62.
A solitary other English batsman in over a century – Amiss – has featured as many times in the top order in Ashes Tests and recorded a lower average.
However, Crawley insisted any suggestion his teammate is under the microscope originates with "the media" – referring to the journalists – "and not within the team."
"We all know of his considerable talent," added Crawley. "Ollie has enjoyed a productive year if I'm honest."
"He has produced several excellent innings. It is noise externally. There's no chat like that on Ollie amongst the players," Crawley finished.
