One can’t ever assume what’s going on in a player’s head. However, after Las Vegas Raiders star Davante Adams threw his helmet in frustration on Monday night, lip readers were quickly summoned. Needless to say, maybe No. 17 has finally had enough.
Did the Raiders finally “break” Davante Adams on Monday Night Football?
Adams has been professional to the best of his abilities thus far in his Vegas stint. Looking back, fans criticized the team for pulling out miraculous wins not that long ago. He, better than anyone on the roster, understood that such success was not sustainable once the level of competition stiffened. Heading into Detroit to take on one of the best squads in the NFL this season, his theory was proven correct. The most straightforward way to put it is that Josh McDaniels’ offense was, well, offensive to the eyes.
That’s not some baseless claim either. As the final quarter drew to a close, Adams himself had seen enough. Throwing his helmet to the ground in frustration and likely echoing what many in Raider Nation have been screaming for weeks. Let’s face it, it doesn’t take a genius to make out the expletives that Adams expressed. Can you blame the All-Pro for finally erupting in contempt? Over the last four games, he’s only accumulated 142 receiving yards—a career-worst since 2015, as ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez pointed out.
Speechless…
Following the game, Adams was his more collective self. Rather than explode in front of the media, the professionalism he’s known for won the night.
“Honestly, I don’t know what to say at this moment. I truly don’t. I wish I had the words to say something that’s not going to get blown up in the media and taken out of context, so I’m going to just, I truly, I just don’t know,” (h/t Paul Gutierrez).
Let’s be honest, anything Adams might have said would’ve been open to interpretation. Instead, he can sit back and process what we all witnessed on Monday night. One thing’s for sure: had a different signal-caller been under center, Adams could have had himself one heck of a game. The Ringer’s Warren Sharp pointed to a pair of incompletions that back that claim.
Specifically, No. 17 might have had a 98-yard and a 60-yard touchdown to his name. Rather, we saw him have a justified meltdown on the sidelines that, at this point, accurately sums up the 2023 season for the Silver and Black.
The question here is, where do the Raiders and Adams go from here?
*Top Photo: X/Albert Breer