Davante Adams' 'benchmark is not wins and losses, it’s greatness;' wants to help Raiders offense improve
Davante Adams didn't come to Las Vegas to be a decoy.
While he's happy if his teammates benefit from the attention he receives from defenses, he joined the Raiders — via trade — to make a more tangible impact. And right now, he's neither making contributions on the field or helping his teammates win their matchups.
And that just doesn't sit right with him.
After not speaking with the media following the Raiders win over the New England Patriots on Sunday, the wide receiver finally acknowledged the elephant in the room.
He's frustrated with his lack of usage and Las Vegas' anemic offense not getting any better through the first third of the season.
“I’m sure people are thinking, ‘Well, they won the game. They won the Packers game. Why is there an issue?’ I mean, you see why it’s an issue,” Adams said. “Y’all know who I am and know what I’m about at this point. When you’re a player like me, mentally, my benchmark is not wins and losses; it’s greatness.
“When I go out there, I expect to be able to have that ability to put that on tape and have an influence on the game.”
Davante Adams: “My benchmark is not wins and losses, it’s greatness.” pic.twitter.com/egZEaZ4La2
— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) October 18, 2023
Adams found someone on X, formerly known as Twitter, who perfectly encapsulated his point of view. He reposted their statement on Thursday morning.
Simple. Thank you brother https://t.co/vYiOGMyhQs
— Davante Adams (@tae15adams) October 19, 2023
The irritation makes perfect sense. He's easily the highest-paid player on the roster, and the offense has received the majority of the payroll ... but has scored 20 points only once this season. And that was mostly thanks to a Maxx Crosby sack Patriots' quarterback Mac Jones for a safety in the final moments of the team's game.
“I’m one of the bigger pieces as to why this offense is going to go," Adams said. "If I’m not getting it, then that’s obviously not according to plan. So we want to keep working like we are to get that right.
“I’m not naive. At the end of the day, it’s not easy throwing to somebody who gets the coverage I get.”
The offense has not scored more than two touchdowns in any game, is 3-3 and not considered a serious threat for the Kansas City Chiefs, even though Las Vegas is second in the AFC West. Worse yet, Adams targets and receptions have taken a nosedive the last two weeks.
Against the Green Bay Packers, Adams had four targets and four receptions for 45 yards against his former team. The 30-year-old caught two of his five targets for 29 yards against the Patriots. The Raiders have only had one game with a 100-yards receiver — Adams had 172 yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers — and that's it.
That may be more challenging with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo being injured and up in the air for the team's game against the Chicago Bears this week.
Ultimately, Adams' main point is he wants to help the team, and he can't do that if he's not even getting looked at. The offense isn't better without his inclusion. Obviously, there's a difference between future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers and former college teammate Derek Carr getting him the ball, but the Raiders and head coach Josh McDaniels need to find a way to incorporate their star receiver in the mix if they want the offense to improve.
“I came here to win and to do it the right way,” Adams said. “If it doesn’t look like it’s supposed to look, I’m going to be frustrated. I have the opportunity to go and change that and make it look like a much better picture out there.”
