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The Las Vegas Raiders shouldn’t be pleased with how their season ended. They’d an opportunity to make the playoffs however let that chance slip away with unhealthy performances. Ending with an 8-8 document, the Raiders missed the playoffs. Nevertheless, there have been many brilliant spots within the season, and tight finish Darren Waller is considered one of them.
Waller has develop into a dependable goal for Derek Carr over the previous two seasons. He’s assured that Las Vegas might be significantly better than they have been final season. The star tight finish simply despatched a warning to considered one of his division rivals, letting them know that he and the Raiders are proper on their heels.
The Raiders have been tormented by inconsistency in 2020
Through the common season, it was a mix of good and unhealthy from the Raiders. They’d play like world-beaters sooner or later, then get dominated by an inferior workforce the following. That form of inconsistent play derailed the workforce late within the season.
Las Vegas began final season sturdy, having a 6-3 document by way of their first 9 video games. They fizzled out after the superb begin, dropping 5 of their final seven video games. One of many workforce’s points was penalties. The Raiders had 98 penalties in 2020, the tenth most within the NFL, per The Football Database. Combine the inconsistency and penalties, and it’s the right recipe for a mediocre season.
The inconsistencies have been totally on the protection facet. The Raider protection was terrible final season, giving up 389.9 yards a recreation, eighth-most within the league. They relinquished 29.9 video games this yr, third-most within the NFL. The workforce was strong offensively, averaging 383.3 yards a recreation, which was within the prime 10 of the league. It was the play of Derek Carr, Josh Jacobs, and Darren Waller who helped Las Vegas’ offense develop into a prime 10 unit.
Waller is rising the ranks as one of many higher tight ends within the league. Together with his measurement, palms, and quickness, he’s a mismatch for any defender. He believes that the Raiders aren’t too far off from their division rival, saying that the hole between them and Las Vegas is closing.
Darren Waller doesn’t ‘really feel just like the hole is that massive’ between the Raiders and Chiefs
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The Raiders have been an 8-8 workforce that didn’t make the playoffs for a fourth straight season. The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs have been 14-2 and made it to the Tremendous Bowl. The Chiefs have dominated the AFC West, profitable the division the previous 5 seasons. Darren Waller believes the hole between the workforce isn’t as massive as many assume.
“We don’t really feel just like the hole is that massive, actually. It’s straightforward to point out up and play them [the Chiefs] as a result of they’re so good and so gifted that you simply naturally wish to play your greatest. We really feel like our greatest is correct there with theirs,” stated Waller per NFL.com.
Waller might need a degree. The Raiders have been the one workforce to beat the Chiefs once they performed all of their starters in 2020. In Week 5, Las Vegas’ offense exploded, scoring 40 factors behind a 300-yard, three-touchdown efficiency by Derek Carr. The Raiders nearly beat Kansas Metropolis a second time in Week 11. Waller appears at these video games as proof that they aren’t too removed from the Chiefs.
“I actually don’t assume there’s a lot as a result of the primary recreation we received, the second recreation they rating on the finish, and in the event you ask individuals on protection, they are saying we will’t occur, however these are two video games that we really feel like we must always have received,” Waller stated.
The Chiefs’ offense regarded removed from regular in the course of the Tremendous Bowl blowout towards the Bucs. Given how shut the Raiders got here to nearly beating their rivals twice, they are going to be that recreation movie for clues. Nevertheless, they need to give attention to one factor in the event that they wish to catch Kansas Metropolis.
Consistency is significant for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021
It was talked about how inconsistency killed the Raiders’ season. They’ll’t function inconsistently and have reasonable expectations to overhaul the Chiefs within the AFC West. Darren Waller realizes how Kansas Metropolis’s consistency is the distinction between the 2 groups.
“The Chiefs do it Week 1 by way of Week 22…We are able to do it the primary 9 weeks pretty persistently, however on the finish, it’s not the identical…So we’ve to succeed in that degree of consistency that they’ve. They’ve a traditionally nice degree of consistency that we haven’t reached but,” Waller stated.
Step one in being constant is having the precise gamers on the roster. Carr doesn’t seem like he’s going anywhere, Jacobs is a stud, and Waller is an elite tight finish. The offense is about, however the protection may use upgrades throughout. Getting the protection located will certainly assist the offense. They received’t really feel like they’ve to attain 50 factors to win.
The Las Vegas Raiders have a gifted workforce, and Darren Waller believes that they’re catching as much as the Chiefs. The Raiders beat them as soon as final season, so that they know what must be completed to win towards them. Nevertheless, they should give attention to being extra constant and preventing adversity earlier than reaching Kansas Metropolis’s degree.
“We simply must be a extra locked-in workforce going by way of the season as a result of there’s going to be instances if you’re not feeling nice, otherwise you’re banged up and issues like that, however the particulars can’t slide, the basics can’t slide,” Waller stated.
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