The Raiders have two stars on their offense; Josh Jacobs and Darren Waller. In Week 2, Jacobs wasn’t able to have a ton of success, rushing 88 yards on 27 carries. He dealt with a lower-body injury for much of the night and struggled to make a ton of explosive plays.
Luckily, the Raiders were able to lean on Waller and he carried the offense. Waller saw 16 targets in this game, catching 12 passes for 103 yards and one score. It was the second-most reception a tight end as ever had on Monday Night Football with the only player besting him was Jason Witten (13) in 2012.
Whenever the team needed a big play, Derek Carr found Waller in the middle of the field. On multiple third downs, Waller caught a pass short of the first-down marker, but was able to break a tackle to gain the yardage needed.
If the Raiders want to be a legitimate contender in the AFC, they will need Waller to continue to produce at this level. That works for Las Vegas is there isn’t anyone in the NFL that can cover him one-on-one. He’s one of the most athletic tight ends in the league and after the game, head coach Jon Gruden said he would take him over any other tight end in the NFL including Travis Kelce and George Kittle.
Waller is in his second full season playing the tight end position and has already totaled 18 receptions for 148 yards. Look for the former Georgia Tech star to surpass 1,000 yards again this season, should he stay healthy.
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