Raiders/Donkey Post Game Celebration Thread

Antonio who?

The fans in Oakland said it. The players were probably thinking it. The Raiders entered Monday night’s showdown against the Broncos ready to put the Antonio Brown drama behind them, and with a statement 24–16 win over Denver, if nothing else, they seemed to achieve exactly that.

Derek Carr finished the game 22-of-26 for 259 yards and a touchdown pass in the outing. Tyrell Williams (six catches, 105 yards and a touchdown) and Darren Waller (seven catches, 70 yards) made their presence known. Josh Jacobs added 85 yards and two scores on the ground, and Oakland is now 1–0 to start the season.

Maybe the Raiders used it all as motivation. Maybe it was the fact that it was the team’s final MNF showing at the Coliseum. Maybe the Broncos were just that bad. Either way, the Raiders got the win, one that will carry them into Week 2 in the direction they desperately needed to go: forward.

Bad start for Broncos

The offense couldn’t get it done. The defense couldn’t get it done. The special teams couldn’t get it done.

John Elway tried to remake the Broncos this past offseason, and his team still got beat in all three phases on Monday.

The outcome was closer than it should have been. Joe Flacco appeared uncomfortable throughout the entire affair, unable to stay upright in the pocket and terribly out of sync in an offense that felt unprepared. Von Miller and Bradley Chubb, who combined for 26.5 sacks between them in 2018, were rendered complete non-factors on the other side of the ball. In fact, by the game’s end, Denver’s defense had failed to register a single sack.

And despite several cut-day additions on special teams, the unit opened the 2019 season the way they ended it in 2018: letting the Raiders’ Dwayne Harris break away for a huge kick return.

There’s still a lot of football to be played. But it’s safe to say that, after Monday’s performance, the Vic Fangio era in Denver isn’t off to a hot start.

https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/09/10/monday-night-football-saints-texans-raiders-broncos-week-1
 
PFF’s take:

OAKLAND RAIDERS
Derek Carr was excellent throwing at all areas of the field, completing 22-of-26 passes for 259 yards and a touchdown. He had multiple big-time throws in the affair and finished the game with a higher average depth of target than we’ve come to expect from the Raiders signal-caller.

Filling Antonio Brown’s shoes with ease, Tyrell Williams put on a show in his Raiders debut. The former Los Angeles Chargers wideout caught six passes for 105 yards and a touchdown without dropping a single pass.

Veteran Benson Mayowa was impressive in limited action, as he recorded multiple pressures from just a handful of pass-rushing opportunities. He was easily Oakland’s most productive pass-rusher on the night.

Vontaze Burfict was everywhere for the Raiders’ defense Monday night. He made multiple defensive stops both in coverage and against the run.

Rookie Takeaways

Josh Jacobs was impressive in his NFL regular season debut. He forced multiple missed tackles, picked up first downs and gained a high percentage of his yards after contact.
 
RF34 said:
Thompson: Darren Waller celebrates his own personal victories in Raiders’ season-opening win
GettyImages-1173483779-e1568102297192-1024x683.jpg

By Marcus Thompson II 7h ago
Darren Waller knew a bad game wasn’t possible. Not this game. Not this night. Not after what he received.

He was headed off the field and down the tunnel before Monday night’s game against Denver at the Coliseum. A fan got his attention and handed him something. It was a sobriety chip, a Raiders version, celebrating the two years clean and sober threshold he recently crossed. Waller had shared his story of overcoming addiction on the show “Hard Knocks.” Now he got to feel the impact of his transparency.

“That had me lit before the game,” Waller said, showing off his silver and black chip with a “II” on it. “Sent chills through me.”

Something big happened on Monday night, perhaps lost in the hype of the Raiders’ energetic 24-16 handling of the Broncos. Something bigger than football. Something profoundly inspirational.

Waller, who turns 27 on Friday, made his first start with the Raiders, and first in the NFL since November 2016. But that’s not why the night was big for him.

He finished with seven receptions on eight targets, both team highs, and totaled 70 yards receiving — all career highs. But that’s not why the game was so special.

Monday night was his debut. Not in the NFL, or with the Raiders, but as a new person in a big new role. It was the beginning of the next chapter of Waller’s story. In this one, he’s the starting tight end. In this one, he is reliable and trustworthy, maximizing his potential. In this one, he is giving hope instead of losing it.

He’s gone from dependent upon alcohol and prescription drugs to being dependable on third downs. He went from stocking groceries at Sprouts in Atlanta to blocking lineman and running routes in Oakland. He went from not liking himself and getting so high as to feel invisible to loving himself and getting so hyped as to feel invincible.

Wins in football are great, but triumphs in life are even greater. Waller declared victory on Monday.

“I loved it. I think we all here, everybody, roots for Darren Waller,” Derek Carr said. Having devoted his life to ministry, Carr livened up even more when he started talking about his new tight end. The magnitude was not lost on the quarterback.

“You know how many people that helps for him to be that vulnerable?” Carr said. “I said that’s unbelievable. That blesses my life to see someone that vulnerable and that open. It wasn’t hard for him. He was just talking (on ‘Hard Knocks’), telling people his story. Imagine if everyone could open up like that, how many more people could get help, how many more people we can help.

“To see him now transition to being a professional football player — not trying to get cut — he’s in professional football making plays on ‘Monday Night Football,’ starting tight end for the Oakland Raiders. I think that’s a powerful thing.”

It was Waller’s 23rd game since Baltimore drafted him out of Georgia Tech in the sixth round in 2016. But the previous 22 games were played with anxiety.

Monday was different. He noticed it. He felt it.

Anxiety tends to be about anticipating the future, being worried and concerned about what’s going to happen, what people are going to think, how things might go wrong. But Waller got to the spot he’s in by soaking in the now, by appreciating the present, investing in every moment and every decision.

That’s how “one day at a time works.” Waller said he knows it has become cliche. But he is evidence of its effectiveness. Being present and accountable every day, cherishing every moment and cognizant of how he’s feeling, has resulted in a responsible and productive man.

It hasn’t been two years clean and sober, but 730-plus days. Of giving his all. Of trying to do the right thing. Of considering others.

That’s a lot of victories, so it makes sense why his confidence is at an all-time high.

“I had like a calm that I never really had before playing football,” Waller said. “It was peace. I know I belong here. I know I can make something happen.”

It has also helped the amount of faith the Raiders have put in him. They said goodbye to Pro Bowl tight end Jared Cook because they believed in Waller. They handed him the starting job without even putting him through the pressure of being cut.

Second chances usually aren’t taken lightly for recovering addicts. Especially not Waller.

He remembers thinking he was going to die after swallowing pills he believed were laced with fetanyl in August 2017. He remembers being on Baltimore’s practice squad, hoping for an opportunity, before the Raiders added him to their roster.

To be given this chance?

“That’s all I need,” he said.

Waller’s speed was evident Monday. The former wide receiver lined up on the outside and blew past Broncos cornerback Isaac Yiadom for a 25-yard reception down the sidelines, putting the Raiders in the red zone on the opening drive.

But Waller also proved to be one of Carr’s favorite reads over the middle. The 6-foot-6, 255-pound tight end is a sizable target whose explosiveness keeps the defense off balance enough for him to curl and sit in the middle of the field.

Waller said Carr told Waller to win every route because he was coming to him. With no Antonio Brown, the complementary receivers become even more valuable. Waller took the advice from Carr seriously and their rapport got off to a strong start.

“We saw it all camp, the plays he’s able to make and the guy he is,” wide receiver Tyrell Williams said. “It’s awesome to see guys like that have success. That’s big. A lot of guys get the chance and they kind of mess it up. I can’t imagine how he feels and how his family feels.”

Adversity is sure to meet Waller on the field. The Broncos didn’t prove much of a problem for the Raiders offense, despite being led by defensive guru Vic Fangio. But the day is coming when it will be tougher, when the struggle comes in earnest.

But that’s what made Monday such a heartwarming night. Because Waller will be ready like he’s never been. He will be present and accountable. He will be in the moment, feel it, appreciating whatever comes his way because he is truly alive.

“This just tells you what is possible,” Waller said. “It’s a life worth living.”
Click to expand...
not gonna lie that story gave me some goose bumps. Probably a lot of us have had some issues with addiction at some point or another, Waller is definitely easy to root for. Oh, and #FuckAB
 
Lots of positives in the game, starting with an absolutely dominant o-line performance. Williams, Waller, and Jacobs played great. Defense was better but still some real issues there. Going forward I'll be curious to see who steps up as a #2 WR, and still a huge question mark as to where sacks will come from during the season. Burfict looked great against run, but that LB corp is still ass.

The biggest positive: contributions from first and second year players.
 
Most pleasing for me was the performance of the rookies (drafted & undrafted).

All contributed something as far as i recall.

Mayock seems to have achieved more in his one draft than Reggie did in all his together
 
Nobodyinparticular said:
Something I realized while I was thinking about the rungame...I don't think this team was using zone blocking much.

I wasn't keying on the offensive line, so I can't be certain, but it seemed like they were using man and gap schemes again.

Did anyone else notice or have any insights on this?
Click to expand...

Yah it looked like old Raider smash mouth football. We are lining up and smashing down your throat. How about Kolton getting out there and setting blocks?
 
People, including Derek Carr, talked about how scary this O could be with that jerkoff WR.

How scary is it that the O-line played it's 3rd and 4th guards and get one back week 3 and the other some time later.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.
 
Birdwell said:
People, including Derek Carr, talked about how scary this O could be with that jerkoff WR.

How scary is it that the O-line played it's 3rd and 4th guards and get one back week 3 and the other some time later.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Click to expand...

Keep this O intact, Waller/Williams/Jacobs comfortable in the system and add a Jeudy/Shenault/Lamb/Ruggs and whoa boy.
 
Birdwell said:
People, including Derek Carr, talked about how scary this O could be with that jerkoff WR.

How scary is it that the O-line played it's 3rd and 4th guards and get one back week 3 and the other some time later.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Click to expand...
When a QB plays like Carr played, when an OL blocks like our OL blocked, and when you have a RB like Jacobs, shit happens.
 
Mullen is gonna be a good corner I think...

Real close to getting a pick 6.

Rookie TE had a nice little game too. He chipped Von Miller a lot and released for some passses the resulted in decent gains. Runs hard after the catch.

Mayowa is a very nice 3rd down rusher. Vet. Skilled. Really good under the radar FA signing.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.
Back
Top