Last season, Darren Waller showed everyone what kind of weapon he could be. In his first year as a starting NFL tight end, he caught 90 passes 1,145 yards and three touchdowns. The logical question is what does he do for an encore? And the typical expectation is that his numbers improve. But from the looks and sounds of it, that is not the plan.
Waller said early in training camp that he was focusing on improving the simple things, the small details, and was not going to concern himself with making spectacular plays. Things tight ends are expected to do above and beyond just being a receiver.
In the season opener, we saw his efforts play out on the field. He laid a key block on a touchdown run and all his catches were 8 yards or fewer. Stuff to keep drives alive. In other words; playing tight end.
“There will be games where I’ll have to just move the chains or make small plays, simple plays, be on point in my blocking game,” Waller said Thursday over a video conference call. “I need to be able to adapt to whatever is being asked of me every game. I feel like I go into the games now with an open mind, where I don’t feel like I need to go out there and do everything and be all things to all people. I can just play my game and whatever is asked of me in certain situations, I can get done.”
What he was asked to do last season was be the team’s top weapon as a receiver. With the Antonio Brown debacle leading to the Raiders being without a true number one receiver followed by the injury to Tyrell Williams, there was a shortage of mismatches in the passing game.
This season the Raiders are hoping some new additions can answer the call for down field weapons. Like top pick Henry Ruggs III and free-agent addition Nelson Agholor.
While Waller was still Carr’s top target in the season opener, with six catches, he was not the leading receiver. Ruggs led the team with 55 yards and RB Josh Jacobs was second with 46 yards and a total of nine players caught passes, seven of whom had more yards per catch than Waller’s 7.5.
And most importantly, the Raiders won the game, largely on the strength of the offense.
Spreading the ball around is the goal of every offense. For that reason, Waller is totally cool with not putting up monster numbers.
“Yeah, if that’s the case I’m all for it,” Waller said of spreading the ball around. “I’m here for winning, I’m here for a balanced offense, a great journey with the team. And if that requires less of me, of my numbers, if my stats are down and people get on me because I have less fantasy points, that doesn’t matter to me. It’s about winning and if it makes a more balanced attack, sign me up for it.”
It would appear as if games like the opener will be more common for Waller than his performances last season when he had more than 45 yards 11 times and five times went over 100 yards. But we all know what kind of athleticism Waller possesses so no doubt he will still break off some big plays.
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