Just when it looked like Davante Adams and the Las Vegas Raiders had righted the ship with a big Week 2 win over the Baltimore Ravens on the road, the team saw itself floundering again on Sunday.
Las Vegas failed to follow up their 26-23 win versus the Ravens as the Raiders suffered a 36-22 loss in their home opener against the Carolina Panthers. After the Panthers game, Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce appeared to call out some unnamed Las Vegas players for making “business decisions.”
Adams was later asked about his thoughts on Pierce’s blunt take.
“I feel like, I don’t know, this is tough for me to identify that,” Adams said when asked about Pierce’s statement, per Paul Gutierrez of ESPN. “I’m not sure,” Adams added.
Davante Adams, Raiders didn’t have it in loss to Panthers
Sep 15, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams (17) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the second half against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images
The loss to the Panthers was an especially bad one for the Raiders. Not only did they fail in their first game this season in front of their home fans at Allegiant Stadium, but they also became the first victim of the much-maligned Panthers squad which entered Week 3 with a 0-2 record.
Carolina made a controversial decision to bench struggling quarterback Bryce Young for veteran Andy Dalton, and the Raiders’ lackluster effort helped make the Panthers look good with that solution to their QB issues. Dalton went 26-of-37 for 319 passing yards and three touchdowns with zero interceptions against the Raiders.
Davante Adams had no part on the Raiders’ defense, but he left much to be desired about his performance. The star wide receiver only had 40 receiving yards on four catches and nine targets. Granted that the Raiders don’t have an elite quarterback, Adams is still always expected to produce downfield, and 40 receiving yards with no touchdowns certainly won’t cut it for the expensive offensive weapon. The Raiders traded for Adams from the Green Bay Packers in 2022 and signed him to a massive five-year extension deal worth $140 million.
With a 1-2 record after three weeks of football, the Raiders have to find a solution to their own woes, as they next host Deshaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns on Sept. 29.
