BALTIMORE — Antonio Pierce made sure to pull aside Davante Adams at the Las Vegas Raiders’ team hotel Saturday night. The topic was an obvious one, though sometimes it needs to be said and it feels good to be heard.
We’re going to get you the ball. A lot.
And Adams is going to make plays, as he did with four catches for 86 yards in the final 11 minutes of the Raiders’ 26-23 win over the Baltimore Ravens. The Raiders came back from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter for the first time since 2016, as Gardner Minshew II threw for 212 yards in the second half. But even Minshew would tell you it was more “Davante Delirium” than “Minshew Mania.”
Adams had a toe-tapper for the ages to help pull the Raiders to within a touchdown, drew a pass interference call on third-and-17 and then snagged a 1-yard touchdown catch to tie the game with 3:54 left. Daniel Carlson officially ruined the Ravens’ home opener 3 1/2 minutes later with a 38-yard field goal, and the Raiders are now 1-1.
THROUGH THE UP RIGHTS!#LVvsBAL | 📺 @ParamountPlus pic.twitter.com/XlBaWlcpcH
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) September 15, 2024
Midway through the third quarter, the Raiders went for it on fourth-and-2 and Minshew threw incomplete to a covered Adams in the end zone.
No big deal. Tone set.
“I go back to when I first took over, and it’s like, ‘Hey, get the best player the ball,” Pierce said. “He had 12 targets. We wish we had some more out there. … I thought Gardner, as the game went on, just kept taking shots. With the penalty or a big-time catch toe-tapping by Davante, it was just really good to see.”
Adams finished with nine catches on 12 targets for 110 yards.
He appreciated Pierce’s talk with him Saturday night and didn’t get too frustrated when the Raiders had 43 yards of offense in the first half and were only down 9-6.
“I already knew I was the focal point, but it’s absolutely great to hear that from the coach,” said Adams, who had six targets in the season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. “Gardner and I are still developing our chemistry, but we know the coaches trust us to get it going and put the team on our backs late.”
Pierce said there was a cool nod to each other when he and Adams were done talking.
“We kind of looked at each other … and said, ‘All right, let’s go and win,’” Pierce said. “We go for it on fourth-and-2, and we go to our best player. It didn’t happen, but later in the game, it does. So, really good job by Tae and just our team in general.”
Adams’ frustrations with Jimmy Garoppolo were clearly displayed on the Netflix “Receiver” documentary, but this year he has been patient as he and Minshew make up for lost time. Minshew shared reps at training camp while competing with Aidan O’Connell for the starting job. And then Adams missed 10 days for the birth of his son.
He acknowledged there is a learning curve to throwing the ball to a receiver who gets so much attention from opposing defenses.
“It’s not about throwing me the ball even though I am covered or maybe initially doubled, but’s anticipating what I am going to do and where to throw it to give me a chance to make the play,” Adams said. “And Gardner did a great job of that.”
Minshew said he tells himself to throw Adams the ball whenever he has one-on-one coverage.
“That dude makes you right,” Minshew said. “Being able to give him opportunities to get his hands on the ball is going to be really important for us.”
That can be harder when Adams, as he says, “is being covered but is not really covered.”
“It’s different, understanding how to play with a great receiver,” Minshew said. “He’s told me before, if you don’t know how to work it, sometimes it could be harder, because sometimes you’re forcing it into tough coverage when you shouldn’t, and there are times when you should force it, and it works.
“But I really love playing with Tae. I look forward to continuing to build that. I feel like we got a lot going down the stretch, just understanding to give him chances.”
The Raiders were trailing 16-6 early in the third quarter when Minshew started looking for Adams and rookie tight end Brock Bowers (six catches for 82 yards in the second half). It was 23-13 when Minshew hit Adams on a post pattern down the middle for 26 yards, and then on the next play threw a 30-yarder on the left sideline that Adams went horizontal, with his toes standing tall on the green turf.
WHAT. A. CATCH. #LVvsBAL | 📺 @ParamountPlus pic.twitter.com/67OiCsDrEX
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) September 15, 2024
Carlson’s field goal cut the deficit to seven, and then Adams kick-started the next drive with a 29-yard over-the-shoulder catch on the sideline on a dime from Minshew.
Sheesh, Tae 😤#LVvsBAL | 📺 @ParamountPlus pic.twitter.com/o0Ivu0PHEC
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) September 15, 2024
“Gardner did a hell of a job,” Adams said. “We didn’t get out to a fast start, by any means, but the way he was able to rally and put some of that stuff behind him and get out there and make some plays … I mean, we go out there and get a W.”
Minshew was sacked five times and had an ugly interception as the offensive line struggled early, but he held firm in there.
“That’s a great team — a great team — he’s playing,” Adams said, “and for him to be able to turn it around in the midst of all that action … we were glad to get that play out of him.”
Minshew was sacked with 4:03 left, and that left the Raiders facing a third-and-17. He threw it to Adams in the end zone, and some people in attendance wearing purple might say that the veteran initiated the contact, but the official threw the flag and pointed to cornerback Brandon Stephens.
Good things happen when you throw Adams the ball.
On the next play, offensive coordinator Luke Getsy called a play action and after the fake handoff, Minshew tossed it to Adams, who pulled in the dangerous pass. It wasn’t as pretty as it was on paper, but …
“Football is football, man,” Adams said. “That’s not the look we wanted, what we’ve been practicing all week. I got a different leverage from the guy covering me, so, it wasn’t ideal, and I didn’t get to run it the way I intended to do. But Gardner stuck with me and gave me a ball that I can catch.”
WE AINT GOING NOWHERE 😤#LVvsBAL | 📺 @ParamountPlus pic.twitter.com/IwDxFkwp6c
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) September 15, 2024
And that’s the lesson for the day. The Raiders are suddenly 1-1 heading back home to take on the worst team in the league, the Carolina Panthers, in their home opener. Pierce told the team before Sunday’s game how disrespected they should be as 9.5-point underdogs to the Ravens, and the Raiders responded. Eventually.
“I look forward to continuing to build on this momentum,” Minshew said. “I think everybody feels pretty great about it. There’s a ton of tape to clean up; we’re going to do that, but I think everybody feels and believes what we can be as an offense.”
Pierce and Adams nodded.
(Top photo of Davante Adams celebrating a touchdown: Brandon Sloter / Getty Images)
