At one point last year, Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Amik Robertson was an afterthought, buried in the depth chart. However, this Josh McDaniels-led coaching staff always believed in him. Following an emotionally draining win on Sunday, McDaniels made sure that Robertson got his due.
Amik Robertson has turned things around with the Raiders
Waves of emotion, feelings of distraught, and an insane victory were the sights to see at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday as the Raiders defeated the New England Patriots in a stunning 30-24 victory. The Silver and Black had their bumpy moments, but for the most part, they looked like a well-oiled machine. Everybody seemed to be on the same page with one task in mind: “Just win, baby.”
Due to their age and inexperience, the Raiders’ cornerbacks are one of their most pressing defensive issues. Time after time, if they aren’t getting burned down the long stretch, they seem to forget the game plan and let receivers have a field day.
One person that McDaniels doesn’t like to give up on is No. 21 Amik Robertson. “They challenged him a handful of times down the field and Amik was kind of right there, sticky, and made a couple plays on the ball; knocked a couple out… But Amik does what he always does: he plays hard, he competes hard, and he tries to do his job to the best of his ability,” said McDaniels in a postgame presser.
Robertson was the Raiders’ overall 139th pick in the fourth round of the 2020 draft. Coming from Louisiana Tech, a school that doesn’t have as much pizazz as Louisiana State University or some of the other big-name schools, he had a lot to prove. The fact that Robertson is 5’8″ and 187 lbs. makes him one of the smaller corners in the league.
Josh McDaniels’ coaching staff has been instrumental for Robertson
McDaniels understands that his team has one of the youngest secondaries and says that consistency is key when it comes to training these types of players. He knew Patriots quarterback Mac Jones was going to challenge Robertson down the field, which is why McDaniels praised the consistency and effort that was shown. According to ESPN, Robertson has 29 tackles, seven pass deflections, one sack, and one forced fumble.
“They had that one on the sideline that we challenged and got overturned… The minute you take a play off from doing the right thing is when you give up opportunities. And it doesn’t take good quarterbacks long to find those when you do that,” said McDaniels.
Thanks to this victory, the Raiders can still make it to the playoffs, possibly. However, they’re going to need some help. Regardless of the rest of the league, the Silver and Black must keep winning in order to have any sort of chance. Their next matchup will be a cold one against the Steelers in the Steel City.
*Top Photo: Yahoo Sports/Raiders
