The seven quarters of the NFL season was looking rough for Gardner Minshew and the Las Vegas Raiders offense. The team had only scored 23 combined points before deciding that throwing to Davante Adams often is a winning strategy.
After having just five catches on six targets in Week 1, Minshew threw the ball to Adams 12 times for nine catches, 110 yards and a touchdown. The wide receiver’s productive day was a big reason why the Raiders offense scored 13 points in the fourth quarter en route to their 26-23 win over the Baltimore Ravens.
Defenses often put a lot of emphasis on covering Adams so at times, a quarterback will need to throw him the ball even if he doesn’t look open. He thinks Minshew did a much better job of that in Week 2.
“It’s not about throwing me the ball even though I am covered or maybe initially doubled, but’s anticipating what I am going to do and where to throw it to give me a chance to make the play,” Adams said during his September 15 postgame media availability. “And Gardner did a great job of that.”
What really impressed Adams about Minshew is that he didn’t let the rough start for the offense detail the entire game. He praised the quarterback for being able to turn things around in the fourth quarter.
“Gardner did a hell of a job,” Adams said. “We didn’t get out to a fast start, by any means, but the way he was able to rally and put some of that stuff behind him and get out there and make some plays … I mean, we go out there and get a W.”
Gardner Minshew Expresses Importance of Getting Davante Adams the Ball
Adams is one of the highest-paid players on the Raiders roster and remains a high-level wide receiver. Minshew is starting to realize that good things happen when Adams gets the ball thrown his way.
“That dude makes you right,” Minshew said during his September 15 press conference. “Being able to give him opportunities to get his hands on the ball is going to be really important for us.”
There’s been a bit of an adjustment for Minshew when it comes to Adams. He didn’t have a wide receiver like Adams when he was with the Indianapolis Colts last season. He believes there’s a learning curve but he’s starting to understand how Adams plays.
“It’s different, understanding how to play with a great receiver,” Minshew said. “He’s told me before, if you don’t know how to work it, sometimes it could be harder, because sometimes you’re forcing it into tough coverage when you shouldn’t, and there are times when you should force it, and it works.
“But I really love playing with Tae. I look forward to continuing to build that. I feel like we got a lot going down the stretch, just understanding to give him chances.”
If Minshew and Adams can continue to get in sync, the offense should only get better.
Davante Adams Talks Importance of Week 2 Win
The Week 1 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers wasn’t great for the Raiders, but beating the Ravens was a big statement. Baltimore was the No. 1 seed in the AFC last season and quarterback Lamar Jackson was the MVP.
Though Adams isn’t getting too high off of one win, he’s happy to see how the Raiders fought against one of the top teams in the NFL.
“It don’t mean we’re going to win the Super Bowl because we did that,” Adams said. “But I think it means a lot in this locker room for us to dig deep, after not starting the way we wanted in the first game, let alone the first half.”
