Las Vegas Raiders Wide Receiver Davante Adams Week 14 Update
HENDERSON, Nev.--The resurgent Las Vegas Raiders (5-7) took out their AFC West rivals, the Los Angeles Chargers, 27-20, on Sunday, and with the victory, they saw their NFL playoff dreams come back into focus.
Now the Raiders head to Los Angeles to take on the Rams. We spoke to wide receiver Davante Adams about the team's state and looking ahead.
You can watch the entire press conference below and read the transcript:
Wide Receiver Davante Adams
Q: There was one play where you got tackled on the sideline and you were very frustrated by it. With all these other big plays and big stats, has it always been your mentality of making everything out of every play to where even if you have a huge day that one little play kind of bothered you?
Adams: "Yeah, I mean it usually bothers me for the moment and then you get over it. But ones like that where you know you break one more tackle, and I pride myself on being able to make the first guy miss. So, whatever the reason is, whether he wasn't exactly where I thought he was -- because I thought he was little bit more in front, so when I threw the stiff arm it kind of missed and then he wrapped my legs up. So, those piss me off because I always think about the potential of every play. I'm in the business of maximizing everything that I do out there on the field. Any time we've got potential for a really big one and we don't come down with it or when like the third touchdown potential -- whatever goes into those -- they kind of piss you off a little bit longer. But you've got to have as short of a memory as possible just to get over it. Usually it'll bother you for a second and then you'll get over pretty quick."
Q: Match-ups between wide receivers and cornerbacks, there's a game within the game sometimes, especially mentally. Jalen Ramsey is known to talk a little bit. Do you enjoy that part of the game? Do you get into that? Do you find that guys are trying to maybe get into Davante's head a little bit?
Adams: "I find that they do it a lot less to me than other people. And I don't want to sound any type of way, but it's just the fact of the matter. But, yeah, I mean I'm down for it. I've been doing this a long time, so I don't really seek that at this point. I just like to play the game and do what I've got to do, but if it goes there then I'm completely fine with it being that type of game."
Q: He's [Jalen Ramsey] somebody who obviously is one of the best at his position. Do you enjoy those kind of match-ups when it's you, one of the best, against one of the best?
Adams: "Absolutely. I mean, it never ends up panning out. We've played against each other a couple of times. It never ends up panning out like the heavyweight battle everybody hypes it up to be going into the week, just based off the scheme. Obviously, every offense that I've been in I've moved around a lot, which I can't do anything about, nor can he. He can only do what the defensive call is. But any time we do get opportunity to go one-on-one it's something that is a fun match-up when you've got two guys whot are known to go at it a little bit."
Q: Can you walk us through the first 31-yard touchdown. What did you see on that play that made that touchdown happen?
Adams: "Well, it was a great call. I think any time you have momentum like that, defense gets a stop, and we go out there and call something like that where you're kind of challenging what they're doing because typically that's not the move that most offenses are going to do -- first play go at the end zone after a turnover. So, it just shows the coaching staff and Josh [McDaniels'] individually, his belief in me as a player to go and do that or us an offense. But obviously the ball is getting thrown to me, so my job is to just come down with as many of those as possible just to keep that on the front of his mind. Any time we get in that fringe or wherever on the field just to remind him that, that's a great call going to something like that. So, basically just off coverage and I just had to be patient with my route and focus on the ball. I think that's something that guys don't do enough, receivers, they start messing with the DB and hand fighting and stuff like that, where they've got to call for that. If we're running and I'm getting contacted too much, I'll leave that on the ref to make that call. And if I'm not getting contacted, if it's not too much, then I'm expected to come down with the ball."
Q: Do you practice one-handed catches in practice a lot?
Adams: "No, I never practice that. That's just something that's innate, and you find a way to just make it in the moment. But I mean, yeah, I don't ever practice it. If the ball ends up outside of my frame and it happens that way in practice, then sometimes I'll come down with those, but for the most part I like to -- I'm not a big one-handed catch guy. I know it doesn't look like that as of late, it's been a couple of them, but I'd much rather get two on it, higher percentage."
Q: In multiple interviews you've talked about how much basketball has really helped you in the game of football and getting by people. Out of curiosity, what are some basketball players that you might have looked up to who helped you with your football game and your route running.
Adams: "A.I. [Allen Iverson], that was my guy growing up. A.I. was always my favorite with the rock. Jamal Crawford is another guy, Deron Williams. Deron Williams was my favorite basketball player probably when I got to like high school. He was somebody who I really watched his game, because I started playing receiver in my junior year. So, I started watching a little bit of older tape like that. Most guys don't watch basketball tape to get ready for football season, but that was something that was really natural to my movements and the way that I've been kind of moving around basically my whole sports career. So, those are some of the guys who I went toward."
Q: How scary is this offense when you and Josh [Jacobs] are both doing your thing?
Adams: "Well, I mean we've definitely got a lot of potential to do a lot of good things. But it's a lot more than just me and Josh. If we're on top of it, because we're two of the guys who get the bulk out there, and we kind of assume that role to hold that burden. But at the end of the day, Josh can't do anything that he does without the big men up front doing their job and same goes for me. Everything starts upfront. So, everybody's got to do their job, it's not just he and I, but we definitely assume that role and enjoy it."
Q: Is it the Iverson step over Tyronn Lue or the Iverson cross over on [Michael] Jordan?
Adams: "Well, I'm not allowed to answer the second part, so I'll say the step over."
Q: You guys have had success with flea-flickers this year, is that a call you like to hear and how do you think defenses react when you do?
Adams: "I mean, I like it. Any time we have a shot called like that, where it's a little bit of a change-up, borderline trick play, it keeps them on their toes. Honestly, I think the Chargers played it pretty well. But I think they actually played it pretty well, they just ran out of defenders back there and one of them had to run with Kee [Keelan Cole] on the outside, and it left me one-on-one with No. 23 [Bryce Callahan] in there. Great ball, good protection, just had to finish the play."
Q: How fine is that line between getting the flea-flicker and it being, a cool, fun thing, but then also thinking: 'Man, we have to resort to trick plays now?'
Adams: "I wouldn't think we have to resort to them, it's kind of a way to keep teams honest, keep them on the toes. But I think we've found some ways to move the ball without having to get too tricky."
Q: Some of those routes, it seems like you kind of start off pretty slowly and then change directions. Is that something you've always done?
Adams: "Well, I think changing speed is something that has given people problems, and it just messes with the DBs timing and their mind a little bit. So, it's something that I've definitely worked on, and there's a time and a placed. It's a good way to kind of keep them uncomfortable. I like to use more bursts in my game than just all out sprinting. Sometimes that's what it calls for, but also the type of coverages that I get, too. Guys can kind of slow play a little bit more if they've got help. So, for me to do that and then if you have a burst, then it kind of gets the DB in 'Oh crap' mode, and then you kind of get out of there and then I can run my intermediates or take it over top or short routes, just kind of mix it up a little bit."
Q: What's the biggest challenge for you on a short week?
Adams: "Well typically it's getting your body back right after getting into a car crash multiple times throughout the day, but my body feels pretty good. So now it's just snapping back into it. I don't think it's going to be too big of a deal. I think everybody talks about it and complains, but it's been on our calendar for a long time now. So, everybody has got to go through it. It's not too big of a problem as long as you're healthy."
Q: Talking with Josh Jacobs, he's talked a lot about the mentorship that Marcus Allen has provided him since he came to the league. When you came to the league, did you have somebody like at the position who had played before you that kind of took you under their wing and who was that?
Adams: "Well, I had my multiple guys. I played with two Pro Bowlers in Jordy [Nelson] and Randall [Cobb], so those two guys were like that, and it wasn't necessarily like a mentor as somebody where I sit down and I'm taking notes. But just based off of the way that they did their job and the way they went about their business was exactly how a pro does it. So, I had a very in-depth look every day to kind of see the right way to do things. But another guy who kind of came on pretty early in my career was Larry Fitzgerald. He is a mentor. He's everything that a mentor stands for -- that's him. When I had my turf toe in '19, he sent a pretty pricey guy to come and take care of me all the way out in Green Bay. And at that point we spoke multiple times before, but we hadn't really established a relationship. But I learned then that he was actually a really big fan of my game, so from that obviously anytime a guy has that type of reputation -- No. 2 overall yards wise ever -- that's a big deal. It means a lot to me. So, I definitely look at him as a guy that helped me get to where I'm at right now, and I try to do everything I can with my game to kind of repay him."
Q: What do you think about the changes to the Pro Bowl this year?
Adams: "Well, I knew there were some changes. Honestly, I didn't even know it was flag football until you just said that. But it's a tough one because obviously the fans want to see that, but you've got to understand that the end of the day, you go through a really physical -- your body goes through a lot throughout the season. So, to think we're going to get into a game and just want to kill each other when the season's over, the last thing a guy wants to do is get a knee or something like that where it's putting you out for the whole upcoming season. So, it's a two-way street. You definitely want to get the fans something good to watch and fun, but we've definitely got to protect ourselves at the same time. So, it's a fun experience at the end of the day. I don't think anybody wants to go to the Pro Bowl to try to break the record for receiving or rushing. It's more so about the fellowship and just enjoying each other, meeting people. I've made a lot of friends just throughout the league that maybe I wouldn't have met initially. So, I think it's a pretty cool deal either way."
The Las Vegas Raiders have a quick turnaround as they play again on Thursday Night Football this week against the Los Angeles Rams at Sofi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. That game kicks off at 8:15 p.m. EST/5:15 p.m. PST and can be seen on Amazon Prime.
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