Las Vegas Raiders star wide receiver Davante Adams was not a happy camper leavingAllegiant Stadium on Sunday despite his team earning a second consecutive win with a victory over the New England Patriots.
The six-time Pro Bowler caught just 2-of-5 passes for 29 yards in a game that saw Brian Hoyer replace an injured Jimmy Garoppolo under center.
For Adams, it’s clear that his lack of involvement in the passing game recently has been a source of frustration. The same could be said about narrow wins over the Patriots and Packers in which the offense continued to struggle.
“When you’re a player like me, mentally, my benchmark is not wins and losses—it’s greatness,” Adams said. “So when I go out there, I expect to be able to have that ability to put that on tape and have an influence on the game,” Adams told reporters on Wednesday.
Davante Adams stats (2023): 39 receptions, 471 yards, 3 TD, 66% catch rate
Adams, 30, has displayed a ton of frustration since Vegas acquired him from Green Bay ahead of the 2022 season. His expectations are much higher than what we’re currently seeing on the field from the Raiders right now.
“I’m not here just to hang out…I came here to win and to do it the right way. So, if it don’t look like it’s supposed to look, then I’m going to be frustrated if I’m not a part of that plan. Because I have the opportunity to go and change that and make it look like a much better picture out there,” Adams said. “And if that doesn’t happen, then I’m going to be frustrated. It’s not about me, but I’m one of the bigger pieces as to why this offense is going to go.”
Adams forced his way to the Raiders during the 2022 offseason in large part due to the presence of his former Fresno State teammate Derek Carr as their starting quarterback. Carr was then benched late last season and ultimately signed with the New Orleans Saints.
Vegas found what it believed to ba a stopgap option in Jimmy Garoppolo under center. Dealing with myriad injuries, Garoppolo currently leads the league with eight interceptions compared to just seven touchdowns despite missing well over a full game of action.
Garoppolo was injured in the aforementioned win over New England, ultimately being taken to a local hospital with a back injury. There is no telling whether he’ll be able to play against the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
But for Davante Adams, it’s albout much more than a singular issue plaguing the Raiders’ offense. They’ve scored 20 points just once in six games this season. He wants to do his part to change this trajectory as the Raiders look to pull off a third consecutive win come Sunday.