After the Raiders’ win against the Patriots on Sunday, superstar wide receiver Davante Adams left the locker room before reporters could ask him any postgame questions. Many speculated that Adams was absent because he only had two catches in the victory, one week after telling reporters the Raiders must find a way to get him the ball more often.
On Wednesday, Adams finally spoke to reporters, and he didn’t hide his frustration. Overall, Adams stated that the season isn’t all about him, but since he’s one of the best players in the NFL, it’s in the Raiders’ best interest to get him more involved in the offense — especially as that unit has struggled to score points early this season.
“I’m sure people are thinking, ‘Well, they won the game. They won the Packers game. Why is there an issue?’ I mean, you see why it’s an issue,” Adams said. “Y’all know who I am and know what I’m about at this point. When you’re a player like me, mentally, my benchmark is not wins and losses; it’s greatness.
“When I go out there, I expect to be able to have that ability to put that on tape and have an influence on the game.”
One has to figure that Adams is influencing the game somewhat, due to the extra attention he gets from opposing defenses. But Adams didn’t become a superstar and sure Hall-of-Famer by being a decoy.
“I came here to win and to do it the right way,” Adams continued. “If it doesn’t look like it’s supposed to look, I’m going to be frustrated. I have the opportunity to go and change that and make it look like a much better picture out there.”
The Raiders’ overall picture would be much better if they could score more points; Las Vegas topped 20 points for the first time against the Patriots, thanks to a late game-sealing safety from the defense.
Adams says that if the offense was scoring in bunches, that would be fine. But it isn’t, and contributions from Adams are a big part of the Raiders’ plan this season. Thus far, Adams says the plan isn’t working so well and Las Vegas needs to continue working on solutions.
“I’m one of the bigger pieces as to why this offense is going to go. If I’m not getting it, then that’s obviously not according to plan. So we want to keep working like we are to get that right.
“I’m not naive. At the end of the day, it’s not easy throwing to somebody who gets the coverage I get.”
Adams had multiple-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers throwing him the ball during his long, productive stint in Green Bay. Last season, ex-Raiders QB Derek Carr found ways to get Adams the ball; though many of Carr’s targets to Adams were missed, Adams had a productive year.
Overall, Adams’ numbers this season aren’t terrible. But in the Raiders’ last two wins, he was barely a factor, and Las Vegas’ issues on offense, especially in the red zone, continued. That’s certainly not part of the Raiders’ plan, as most of their payroll lies on the offensive side of the ball with Adams leading the way.
This week against the Bears, the Raiders may have to start a backup QB due to an injury to starter Jimmy Garoppolo. But regardless of who is under center, look for McDaniels to try to get Adams the ball early and perhaps often in Chicago. Only time will tell if Las Vegas can execute and vault Adams that much closer to greatness.
