Raiders Davante Adams Keeps Focus Ahead, Not Behind
HENDERSON, Nev.--The Las Vegas Raiders have started the 2022 season 0-2, but the best wide receiver in the NFL, Davante Adams, is solely focused ahead.
The Silver and Black superstar hasn't gotten to the place he is by whining or complaining, and he showed that.
Adams spoke of the state of the Silver and Black and looked ahead to the Tennessee Titans.
You can watch the entire interview below, and read the transcript:
Wide Receiver Davante Adams
Q: Being 0-2, does the sense of urgency intensify in week three? Or do you just stay focused with the task at hand?
Adams: "The second part is more it. Any way you lose, obviously there's different ways – if you get blown out, I guess it's a little different sense of urgency. But loss is a loss at this point. We've got to figure it out, and the urgency is definitely there right now. There's a lot that went into why we didn't win that football game this past week, but at the end of the day a loss is a loss. So, we have to be on our stuff and get ready and go out there and get a win now."
Q: Second half against the Chargers, first half against the Cardinals, you guys are up 31-7, so you can put together four quarters of good football. But doing it in one game what becomes tricky about it?
Adams: "What we did in those games is play two and two. We haven't played four yet. If you want to put those together, but that's not how a football game works. You just have to lock in demand it from yourself. Every player, you've got to learn how to put the foot on the gas and for lack of better words, break their necks when you have them in a corner like that. That's the way that I've learned to play the game, and that's the way that I hope that this team will play the game. Part of it is just keeping that mindset, never getting comfortable, just thinking zero-zero. Especially at half, you go in there - I know this game we are coming in and we're up at half, it's going to be a little different feeling. I'd like to think everybody kind of had that feeling this past week, but obviously we didn't really represent it the way we went out there and played in the second half. You've got to have it in your mind, and then go out there and follow up with the way you play."
Q:With the big names on the team, does it come down to star players to step up?
Adams: "No, it's on everybody. Just like you said, it's not going to be on Davante Adams to go and save the season or save the game or whatever. It's not going to be on Derek Carr. It's on everybody; everybody has a role. The game can be won or lost on special teams on one play, at the end of the day. It's on everybody to think that it's your job to do your job. And if you do and if everybody has that mindset - you may call me crazy, but I think if any team, no matter what team it is in this league. If everybody has it on their mind that their job on every given play, they've got to give their all, whether they play amazing or whatever. If you play as hard as you can on any given play, I think any team in the league will win the game against whoever. If every single person buys into that that way. Especially if you have a lot of talent and you have a really good team on paper like we do, if everybody buys in and has the right mindset on every play and you’re thinking about one play seasons every single time you get out there, which is not easy to do. But that's what separates teams in this league is how discipline can you be and how many play can you make over and over and not get tired of doing the right thing, time after time. That's what we're working towards."
Q: With the Titans coming off their last game, is it safe to say they are going to be just as dangerous at 0-2?
Adams: "Maybe. Just because I'm talking about it right now, don't mean that's what we're going to do at the end of the day. Mike Vrabel can get up there and talk to those boys and tell them it's a must win situation or say exactly what I'm saying, but it's on the players to get out there and play, you've got to do it and you've got to have that discipline to channel that energy in the moment, and that's what it really comes down to. It's not about what the coach talks about or what the players get in the group, you wanna have a damn meeting on the sideline – none of that matters. It's about what you do. It's about how you play, not about who you are."
Q: How do you take losses in a game where you feel like you’re not as productive?
Adams: "Especially after a game like it's just all different types of levels of frustration. Obviously, the part of me not being able to produce the way I expect, obviously that's frustrating, but for me it's not just that, it's the bigger picture. If Darren [Waller] goes out there and has a monster game or Hunter [Renfrow] has a monster game or the run game is working and it's one of those games where we just pounding it and pounding it, it is what it is. I'm not expecting it's going be like that for me every game. So, If I go out and have 20 yards or 50 yards, whatever - that’s not even what it's about. It's about the way that offense looks, and if I can't be a factor in the game and it does look bad, that's when I have frustration about my productivity. It's not about wanting to be All-Pro. I hold myself to that type of standard because it helps the team ultimately. So that's what's on my mind is I want to go out and have a 200-yard game every single game I go out there. That's on my mind, but it's not realistic that it's going to be that way. So, I just try to keep it in my mind so I can at least hold up my end of the bargain."
Q: Having a long history and the chemistry with Derek Carr [being former teammates]. What do you see from him in terms of his comfort level in this scheme and offense right now?
Adams: "It's definitely a small sample size. There are so many things that goes into playing quarterback, man. It's tough - and this is just the way we are as a team, we're going to be hard on each other - if he's not comfortable back there, second play of the game he's getting hit. Obviously, that's something that we all got to work on because that helps Derek to be able to do his job and be comfortable back there. Same thing, he's not going to be that comfortable throwing the ball if the wide receivers are dropping the ball every single play or whatever it is if it's not great calls. At the end of the day, we all have to work together to help. That's the toughest position on the field to play. So, I'm damn sure going to the best of my abilities to try to help him make his job as easy as possible. The same with guys up front, the more they can stabilize the pass rush or whatever, that'll allow him to be more comfortable. But as far as the scheme, I think he's really comfortable with that. It's early in the season, which is some stuff you'll see early, that hopefully you won't see later on in the season. So, as we get going and get warmed up more. And then like I said, everyone doing their job to make sure he stays clean and has a clear mind to be able to sit back and deliver."
The Raiders (0-2) will kickoff next Sunday at 10 a.m. PDT in Nashville, Tenn., against the Tennessee Titans. You can watch the game on FOX.
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