Amari Burney Is Stepping Up to the Plate for the Raiders
Linebacker was a position where the Las Vegas Raiders could not afford injuries. However, they found themselves with multiple injuries at the position when Divine Deablo and Luke Masterson suffered injuries in the last few weeks.
That's when the Silver and Black turned to some of the depth they spent so much time developing. One such player is linebacker Amari Burney.
“Really, it goes back to the Detroit Lions (game)," Interim Coach Antonio Pierce said. "We had a couple of linebackers nicked up, so we threw (Burney) in.
"He was inactive for a couple of weeks, but goes in there -- and here's a guy that's been a quarterback, a wide receiver, a safety, szaying: ‘OK, I want to be a linebacker now that I'm in the pros.’ Get used to using your hands, how to play downhill in the running game, have confidence.
"And I think also sometimes it's OK to take a step back. He didn’t play for a couple of weeks, so what did he do? He worked his tail off on the scout team, and we’re sitting there: ‘Hey, come on, Burney, keep going.’ And then all of a sudden you get an opportunity on defense, and you just say: ‘Man, let it loose.
Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Amari Burney has 11 tackles in the last two games.
© Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
"All the stuff that we saw on the scout team, now it’s just a game, it’s just bright lights and more cameras. So, he's done an excellent job of, more importantly, taking the mental aspect of the game and studying why he has not been playing, and that's been showing up on film.”
Burney has 11 tackles in the last two games. He's continued to show how coachable he is during his preparation.
“I think the one thing we've done here from a personnel standpoint is bringing in smart, tough, dependable guys," Pierce said. "He’s at practice, he's in meetings, he stays late. You always see him studying; he’s asking questions. He's not a big rah-rah guy; sometimes, you kind of lose him a little bit because he's a rookie. And rookies get lost, so you've got to grab them back in.
"But he's done an excellent job of just keeping his focus, especially when you’re not playing, because you can kind of get lost in the shuffle, right? And he has not done that. And when I was in the linebacker room with him and the countless hours that we spent outside of meeting time of getting an extra film session is now paying off, and the kid has confidence as he goes on the field.”
The Raiders' talent and their depth were never in question. Both will pay off moving forward, even under a new coaching staff.
The Silver and Black will remain at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas to take on the New York Jets on Sunday, Nov. 12, at 8:20 p.m. EST/5:20 p.m. PST.
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