The Impact of Tight End Darren Waller on Monday Night
Tight end Darren Waller was the man who got the game rolling for the Las Vegas Raiders in Monday night’s 34 to 24 win over the New Orleans Saints.
In the first quarter, the Raiders struggled to do anything on the field, as the Saints defense quickly figured out how to shut down the Raiders.
It only lasted for one quarter.
Then almost out of nowhere, Waller caught a pass or two, gaining a few yards to get the Raiders rolling.
As the game progressed, Waller consistently found ways to get open down the field and found routes that worked for him.
In total, Waller caught 12 passes for 103 yards.
Add a one-yard receiving touchdown to his stat line for tonight as well.
The tight ends were a key going into the matchup against the Saints. Someone needed to get the tight ends started.
Waller was that man tonight.
Because of him, it opened up options down the field--Hunter Renfrow, Bryan Edwards, Nelson Agholor, Zay Jones, just to name a few.
Carr completed passes to 11 different receivers.
In addition, a little bit of more space opened up for running back Josh Jacobs after Waller became a threat.
By the middle of the third-quarter, Waller was given the double-team treatment by the Saints. This is exactly what the Raiders needed and was hoping for. The Saints had to take the bait because they simply couldn’t answer Waller.
The way Waller played is exactly why he’s so valuable to the Silver and Black.
The man can step up when he needs to. He can find the right spots on the field when he’s team requires to.
When Carr was struggling to connect the ball, Waller will open up just enough for Carr to connect to him. A couple of those will regain Carr’s confidence and momentum for the offense.
Once the ball got rolling, Waller could do anything for the Silver and Black. He converted third downs, he caught catch the ball on first down, he grabbed a touchdown pass.
Waller was the man who got the dice rolling for the Silver and Black, and he had a top-notch night.
Now, it’s up to him to continue a consistent performance every week.
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