The Las Vegas Raiders and San Francisco 49ers surprisingly put together a thrilling shootout of a game this Sunday. Las Vegas was not able to walk away with a victory, but their 37-34 loss to San Francisco was encouraging. With the starting quarterback out and the 49ers riding high off an eight-game win streak, most expected the Raiders to lay down and die. Yet they came out strong and even led by double digits at one point. With a slightly better defense, the Raiders leave this one victorious. The Raiders’ receiving game was particularly impressive. Let’s go ahead and break that down. In particular, how Davante Adams and Darren Waller fared with a quarterback change.
Davante Adams & The Raiders’ WR Corps
To put it simply, Davante Adams continues to be the best receiver on the planet. The guy is just insane, week in and week out. This time around, he had maybe his most impressive game of the season.
Adams, currently third in the league in receiving yards, tallied a whopping 153 yards on seven catches, good enough for over 21 yards per reception. He also grabbed two touchdowns on two absolutely ridiculous plays.
YOU CANNOT STOP DAVANTE ADAMS. YOU CAN ONLY HOPE TO CONTAIN HIM.pic.twitter.com/RnSOk8BBIS
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) January 1, 2023
During this game, Adams also broke the Raiders’ franchise record for receiving yards in a single season, vaulting himself over Tim Brown. This has simply been an exceptional year for Adams, and he was clearly worth the two draft picks Las Vegas gave up to acquire him. His ability to take over a game is unreal, and he put in another tremendous performance against arguably the best defense in the league on Sunday.
Davante Adams remains the most important member of the Raiders’ receiving game.
How did Darren Waller and the rest of the guys do?
A Waller sighting! For what seems like the first time since his injury, Waller looked like his normal self and played a great game for the Raiders. Waller had 72 yards on three catches, with a touchdown as well. He was a dynamic threat for the offense, and he seemed to respond well to a new guy at quarterback.
darren waller scoring in the chip! 🥹 pic.twitter.com/WeWo5JZB1O
— NFL Fantasy Football (@NFLFantasy) January 1, 2023
The Raiders’ other tight end, Foster Moreau, had some big moments as well. It’s been pretty rare to see Foster and Waller both impress during the same week, but with Stidham at quarterback, apparently, it’s possible. Moreau had 55 yards on three catches, but each of those catches was huge. Foster did not shy from big moments, and all of these catches either helped the offense get out of a rut or extended the drive on a key third down.
Mack Hollins was a solid contributor as well. Hollins had 40 yards on three catches, good enough for over 13 yards per reception. Hollins didn’t get a ton of targets this week, with Stidham relying on some safety blankets in his first start. Still, he was good when his number was called, and that’s all that can be asked of him.
Josh Jacobs and Hunter Renfrow
Jacobs and Renfrow didn’t have massive games, but each of them was important in their own right. Jacobs had four catches for 26 yards, but most of these were check-downs. With a new, young quarterback at the helm, Jacobs was understandably leaned on extensively in the running game, so his receiving options were a bit limited. He did a solid job here, though.
As for Renfrow, his number wasn’t called many times, but when it was, he showed up. While he had just 19 yards on his three catches, like Moreau, each of his catches came at a very important time. Renfrow has gradually recovered from his injury, looking healthier and healthier each week, and he remains an important part of the Raiders’ receiving game.
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*Top Photo: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
