A rough 2022 campaign for Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller continues. To be fair, No. 83 had a huge touchdown reception against the New England Patriots in his first game back in more than a month. Funny enough, had the Raiders imploded on Sunday, the gaffe between Waller and superstar wide receiver Davante Adams would’ve been magnified. It just goes to show you that winning cures all. Nonetheless, head coach Josh McDaniels was asked for his thoughts on what happened on that play.
Darren Waller wasn’t at fault says Josh McDaniels
“Honestly it really wasn’t anybody’s fault. I think Darren [Waller] thought that the ball was held long enough that it was kind of like almost like a scramble situation, so he was just trying to do the right thing. He thought that it was like a scramble play, so he was kind of coming back this way. Certainly, that wasn’t the intent of the play, but that wasn’t a mistake I would say. I think he was just trying to be a football player.”
Looking back on the play, you could argue that Adams would’ve taken that reception for a touchdown. There was clearly a lot of green ahead of No. 17 on that one. More than likely, it was a simple miscommunication.
Perhaps Waller did believe the ball was intended for him. You can see him coming back to the ball; Waller was doing what he would do instinctively, which is go after the ball. He was playing his position, as McDaniels stated. The thing about Waller is, and people have to keep this in context, that he’s missed more than half of the season. Playing in the most complicated offense in the league requires a lot of nuisances, such as timing. Being out of the lineup, there’s no possible way to get these things down. Obviously, McDaniels is cognizant of that.
Most Raiders fans have kept tabs on Waller’s struggles when he has been on the field. He’s dropped pivotal passes, most notably against the Tennessee Titans. However, make no mistake, he’s still one of the best at his position. Having him back in the lineup, apparently healthy, is going to do wonders for McDaniels. In the end, McDaniels did a good job of protecting his player here.
*Top Photo: Andrew Nelles/Tennessean.com/USA TODAY NETWORK
