Davante Adams Caught on Right Away with the Las Vegas Raiders
Davante Adams was outstanding even before he played his first down for the Las Vegas Raiders, but after one game members of Raider Nation understand that he will rank with the great wide receivers who have worn the Silver and Black if he remains for any length of time.
The 6-1, 215-pound Adams, who was selected in the second round (No. 53 overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers before being traded to the Raiders this season, is a two-time All-Pro and has been selected to the Pro Bowl five times.
Adams caught an 11-yard pass from his college quarterback at Fresno State, Derek Carr, on his first play as a Raider and would make 10 receptions for 141 yards and a three-yard touchdown as the Raiders lost their season opener, 25-19, to the Los Angeles Chargers at Sofi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on Sunday.
The best play for Carr and Adams was a pass on which Adams caught a short throw from Carr and with several elusive moves turned it into a 41-yard gain. Carr also had Adams behind the San Diego defense for what could have been a touchdown, but the ball was slightly underthrown and wound up as an interception.
“That’s what they brought me here for, to be a big part of this offense and help move the ball and put points on the board,” said Adams, who grew up as a Raiders fan in East Palo Alto, across San Francisco Bay from Oakland, where the Raiders started out in 1960.
“That’s my job. That’s what I’m ready to do, I’m a volume type guy, so I’m always ready for that and if the game goes any other type of way, then we’ll adjust and we’ll do that, too. But that means that somebody else is probably handling their business and we’re able to move the ball. The most important part is for this offense and team to do well, obviously, but if I’m a big part of it on any given week, I’m expecting that.”
Said Carr, who passed for 295 yards and two touchdowns but also had three interceptions and was sacked five times: “We did some good things. There’s also some things that him and I, we were just talking about in the locker room, the way I see it, the way he sees it, and we’re trying to make that better. So yeah, we had production, but I think that we can be better, and so does he.”
At this pace, Adams would end up with 170 receptions for the season, but obviously, that’s probably not going to happen as Carr has other very reliable receivers, including tight end Darren Waller and wide receiver Hunter Renfrow.
However, Adams could challenge his career-high of 123 receptions for 1,553 yards and 11 touchdowns for the Packers last season, and he also caught 115 passes for a career-high 18 scores in 2020, and 111 catches for 1,386 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2018.
In his career through one game this season, Adams has 679 receptions for 8,262 yards and 74 touchdowns and would seem to be on track for a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
“It’s kind of I turned the page and kind of starting a new chapter in my career for my childhood team,” Adams said of why playing for the Raiders that he watched as a kid is special to him. “It’s something that mean a lot to me. Obviously didn’t end up winning the game with it, but at the end of the day it still means a lot.”
As a Raiders fan, Adams knows that wide receivers Fred Biletnikoff, Cliff Branch, Tim Brown, Jerry Rice, James Lofton, and Randy Moss, who all played for the Raiders, are in the Hall of Fame, and that American Football League great Art Powell probably should be there with them.
At this rate, Adams will be there with them someday.
The Las Vegas Raiders (0-1) kick off at home in Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, facing the Arizona Cardinals (0-1) at 1:25 PM PT.
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