After the team’s Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, there are a lot of things to be negative and pessimistic about in regards to the Raiders. Their defense is getting worse and suddenly there are questions about this coaching staff’s ability to win late in the season.
However, Darren Waller continues to be the shining star on this roster. After a huge 2019 season, Waller is somehow still improving. With just two games left this year, Waller is on pace to record more receptions, yards and touchdowns than he did a year ago.
Currently, he has 967 yards and eight touchdowns on 93 receptions this year. It’s worth noting that in all of 2019, Waller scored just three touchdowns and caught 90 balls.
His performance on Thursday night against the Chargers was a perfect example of how dominant Waller can be. Despite a quarterback change, Waller was unguardable, racking up 150 yards and a score. Here is his receiving chart via the NFL’s Next Gen Stats in Week 15:
Here is #Raiders TE Darren Waller's receiving chart from Week 15 vs. LAC: pic.twitter.com/eMgEugbvCZ
— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) December 18, 2020
Waller is easily a top-three tight end in the NFL and you can make a case that he is No. 2 behind George Kittle due to health. However, he is a lock to make the first Pro Bowl of his career as he will hit 1,000 receiving yards for the second-straight season.
The Raiders have a lot to fix and rebuild in the offseason, but having a dominant receiving weapon like Waller on offense is comforting. There isn’t a single player in the entire NFL that can guard him one-on-one and is one of the league’s best offensive players. Waller is a superstar in every sense of the word.
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