Getty Raiders star Davante Adams.
Raiders star Davante Adams knew the question was coming. It’s been an odd year for him, as he has spoken publicly more than once about his unhappiness with the Raiders offense and his role within it, and has sounded off repeatedly about the team not looking “how it is supposed to look.”
So when he wrapped up Sunday’s big 30-6 win over the Giants with just 34 yards on four catches and seven targets, including one overthrown deep ball from rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell, he figured he’d be asked if he was still unhappy with his role.
And he was asked. Turns out, he is not all that frustrated on this day.
“I knew that was gonna come up,” Adams said. “It is what it is, like I said, it’s about how it looks and it looked how it is supposed to look out there. We weren’t perfect by any means but we were able to run the ball and do things that we set out to do since I have been here. One way or the other, we figured it out. I’m not concerned about that. Like I said, all that other stuff will take care of itself.”
“This isn’t about me it’s about the team….Turn 30 into 40 or 50.”
Davante Adams speaks on the Raiders dominant victory over the Giants.
🎥: By @Sean_Zittel, Vegas Sports Today
Raiders’ Davante Adams: ‘This Isn’t About Me’
All that is not to say that Davante Adams does not wish to catch more passes for the Raiders. The four passes he caught today brings his total to 51, which is on pace for 96 for the season, and his yardage is up to 573, which puts him on pace for 1,082. Those numbers are not bad for most receivers, but by Adams’ standards, they are low.
He has not had so few catches and yards during a healthy season since 2017, his fourth year in the NFL.
“Do I want to catch more balls? Of course, why would I not?” Adams said, briefly deciding to ask his own questions. “But at the end of the day, like I told you before, this isn’t about me. This is about the team. My whole want to catch more balls is to turn 30 into 40 or 50. That’s why. It’s for the team. As long as we continue to do this and look this way, I will go out there and block for JJ (Josh Jacobs) and let him do his thing. Whatever it is, we just gotta get it done.”
Aidan O’Connell Gives Credit on Tre Tucker Bomb
Even when Davante Adams is not directly having an impact for the Raiders, though, he is still having an impact. That’s what O’Connell pointed out when discussing the longest pass play the Raiders have had all season, O’Connell’s 50-yard bomb to rookie receiver Tre Tucker, who hauled in an amazing catch.
This is elite concentration and body control by Tre Tucker.
My god. #RaiderNation #Raiders
But part of the reason Tucker was open is because Adams has so much gravity on the field.
“I think you have to give credit to Davante,” O’Connell said in his postgame press conference. “He got double-teamed basically the whole day. He did as well on that play, the safety was cheating on his side. We had go balls on both sides. And so, Davante, he attracts a lot of people and Tre knew he had to go execute and he did a great job. Unbelievable catch.”