Las Vegas Raiders coach Josh McDaniels did not exactly have a great response when asked about a viral analysis video highlighting the team’s strange usage of Davante Adams.
Adams, the Raiders’ big offseason trade acquisition, has been seemingly underutilized by the team, with just seven catches in his last two games. ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky broke down tape that showed quarterback Derek Carr not looking Adams’ way on multiple plays where the wide receiver was open and seemingly well-positioned to get the ball.
On Wednesday, McDaniels responded to the video, though he admitted he had not actually seen the breakdown. The coach pointed out that it was possible Carr and the Raiders were leaning too much on tape study and not enough on defensive reads, but then cited double teams as an example of something that would need to be adjusted to.
“The scouting report almost takes a right or a left turn at the beginning of every game because a team decides to do something dramatically different than maybe what they decided against two or three opponents prior to your game,” McDaniels said, via Levi Damien of Raiders Wire. “And so, I think that getting used to that, being able to adjust to it, and still be productive. … which is why what we always try to preach is, the most important thing we can do is read the defense because if you’re just going to assume that one guy’s going to be open or I have to throw it here, again, the defense always has a vote in that and they get to determine how they’re going to try to cover you.”
McDaniels is not necessarily wrong here, but double teams aren’t an excuse. Adams was open on the plays highlighted, and even he has refused to use double coverage as a reason for his lack of volume.
Carr said earlier in the season that there were plays where he decided where he was going with the ball before it was even snapped. For the Raiders to get the most out of Adams and their offense, that might need to change.
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