Eric Williams
NFL Reporter
Gardner Minshew emerged from a quarterback battle with Aidan O’Connell during training camp for the Las Vegas Raiders as a starter on a short leash.
And through two games, Minshew has shown glimpses of a QB who can extend plays with his feet. In Week 2, he helped to lead the Raiders to a stunning comeback win over the Baltimore Ravens on the road to even their record at 1-1.
Minshew is tied for second in the NFL with 533 passing yards and leads the league in completion percentage (77.5%). He has tried to keep things simple, finding talented pass-catchers Davante Adams and rookie tight end Brock Bowers as often as possible and feeding them the football.
Adams totaled nine catches for 110 yards on 10 targets last week against the Ravens, most of his production coming in the fourth quarter as the Raiders scratched back from a 10-point deficit. Adams had four catches for 86 yards in the final quarter and also drew a crucial pass interference penalty in the end zone that led to the game-tying score. The Raiders’ 26-23 win broke a string of 49 straight losses when they trailed by 10-plus points in the fourth quarter.
Following Adams’ big game, Minshew and the Raiders need to figure out how to keep the veteran receiver happy. After pairing with Aaron Rodgers for eight years in Green Bay, Adams has caught passes from five different QBs since joining the Raiders via trade in 2022: Derek Carr, Jarrett Stidham, Jimmy Garoppolo, O’Connell and now Minshew.
During the offseason, trade speculation involving Adams percolated throughout the league because of the team’s struggles and the instability at the quarterback position. Back in July, Adams’ representatives tried to quell talk that the six-time Pro Bowler was unhappy with the Raiders, saying it was unfounded speculation and that he expected to remain with the team in 2024.
Adams confirmed that report just before the regular season.
“In terms…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/can-gardner-minshew-keep-star-wr-davante-adams-happy-raiders
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Publish date : 2024-09-20 11:06:36
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