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The Las Vegas Raiders certainly picked an interesting time to make a quarterback change. They’re about to play the No. 1 defense in the NFL on Sunday. The San Francisco 49ers have the best run defense in the league but are susceptible against the pass.
Despite that, the Raiders have decided to start Jarrett Stidham over Derek Carr, who will be making his first career regular season start. The decision to bench Carr was not met without controversy. Star wide receiver Davante Adams is close friends with the quarterback. He came out and said the only reason he came to the Raiders was to play with Carr. Now the quarterback’s tenure in Las Vegas is essentially over and Adams didn’t even get a full season with him.
After seeing the comments from Adams, 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk commented on Instagram that the Raiders star should sit out this week to stand in solidarity with Carr.
Based on Adams’ demeanor when he made the comments, he doesn’t appear to be in a joking mood. While he’s upset about Carr likely being on a new team next year, Adams is a professional and will at least play out this season in Las Vegas.
Aiyuk Clarifies Comment
Aiyuk’s comment was met with ire from many in the Raiders fan base. Adams is one of the few good things the team has going for it right now. However, the 49ers wide receiver wasn’t being serious, as he told reporters this week.
“It was a little fun,” Aiyuk said, via NBCSportsBayArea.com. “I think people took it a whole different way. If you don’t have to play Davante Adams — I would love to not play Davante Adams. I’m trying to win a football game.”
Adams is still arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL and will remain dangerous with Stidham throwing him the ball. Aiyuk knows that not having the five-time Pro Bowler on the field gives the 49ers a better chance at winning.
“If Davante Adams is not out there, I’m sure that would increase our chances by a lot,” Aiyuk said. “Especially for that team, and what he does for their offense, especially without their starting quarterback.
“That’s all it was. It was more [of] a nod to Davante Adams, having some fun. But, you know, that’s Raiders fans for you.”
Could Raiders Upset the 49ers?
The 49ers have all of the momentum heading into Sunday’s game. Despite it being a road game, the San Francisco fan base is projected to take over Allegiant Stadium. It could be a game that gets ugly quickly for the Raiders. That said, the 49ers would be foolish to underestimate Las Vegas.
We’ve seen teams, including the 49ers, get a boost from a backup quarterback after they take over. Stidham isn’t as talented as Carr but he has a much better understanding of Josh McDaniels’ offense. There may be things the coach could now run that he wasn’t able to with Carr. There’s also the fact that the Raiders still have four Pro Bowl playmakers on offense. Adams, Josh Jacobs, Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow are all capable of taking over the game. It’s a long shot that the Raiders will even keep the game competitive but it shouldn’t be a surprise if they make the 49ers work hard for the win. If Las Vegas gets embarrassed, it would be quite telling.
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