Raiders WR Davante Adams may be looking forward to matchup vs. Packers
The Las Vegas Raiders have a few big games on their 2023 schedule, but not many bigger than the one Davante Adams may have circled. The Raiders play six primetime games in 2023, as the NFL gets ready to showcase the location of thus year's Super Bowl – Allegiant Stadium. And, of course, they like […]
The Las Vegas Raiders have a few big games on their 2023 schedule, but not many bigger than the one Davante Adams may have circled.
The Raiders play six primetime games in 2023, as the NFL gets ready to showcase the location of thus year's Super Bowl – Allegiant Stadium. And, of course, they like to show off a few players who wear silver and black like Maxx Crosby, Josh Jacobs, and Davante Adams of course.
But one of those primetime games is a little bit more important for Adams than the rest of them are. The Green Bay matchup is one that he possibly has circled on his calendar.
One NFL analyst has that game as the biggest match-up, or must-watch game of the year for the Packers. Here is what he said about the Week 5 matchup between the possible cross-conference rivals.
It’s “Monday Night Football” in Las Vegas — that’s must-watch material already. Add in the element of Davante Adams facing his longtime former team for the first time and this game becomes even more enticing. Adams played eight seasons for the Packers, rising from beleaguered youngster struggling with drops to the NFL’s best wide receiver before they traded him to the Raiders in March 2022. Packers All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander had many a training camp battle with Adams, and we should get the treat of a few more in prime time in Sin City. — Matt Schneidman, The Athletic
This isn't really about these two teams playing each other, it's more about Adams and the Packers secondary. The best receiver in the game, in my opinion, will be a great matchup for Jaire Alexander and Rasul Douglas. The Packers are a team that runs a lot of zone coverage on defense with their secondary, and against the Raiders, that may not work, as one of the best receivers in the league against zone coverage is Davante Adams. He is one of the best against man too, but his zone prowess is elite.
In 2022 against man coverage, Adams had the 29th most yards, which doesn't sound amazing, but that is of all 64 receivers who qualify with at least 18 targets in man coverage. That is still really good. Now, against zone coverage is a different story. Of all receivers with at least 31 targets in zone coverage, Davante Adams has the third best receiving grade, according to PFF, at 89.4, and the third most receiving yards with 946, and five touchdowns to go along with it.
In Week 5 we could see Adams go off for 200 yards if the Packers aren't careful. Sure, some of their guys knows how Adams plays, but you could say the same thing the other way around. If they play the way they usually do, it definitely won't be good for the Packers.
That's why this is must-watch TV though, because even if they do everything right, the Packers can still give up 100 yards and a touchdown to Adams.
