After the Raiders cut bait with AB, Tyrell Williams became the team’s WR1, and he certainly responded on Monday night against Denver.
Just days after the Oakland Raiders sent the Pittsburgh Steelers a third and fifth-round pick in exchange for Antonio Brown, the team signed Tyrell Williams to a four-year, $44 million contract with a vision to be the team’s No.2 option.
The Raiders knew exactly what they were investing in when signing Williams as he was arguably the best wide receiver on the open market. Oakland double dipped, assembling a dynamic duo of Brown and Williams.
Those plans went south fast as Oakland is without Brown, but entered Week 1 with high hopes that Williams could convert into the team’s No.1 pass catcher. On Monday night Williams did just that, catching six passes for 105 yards and one touchdown, helping lead the Raiders to a 24-16 win over the Denver Broncos.
With Williams being the primary pass catching threat on the outside for Oakland, many would imagine the Broncos would have their best cover corner, Chris Harris Jr. travel with him from side to side, but that wasn’t the case. Williams lined up on both sides throughout the night, most notably beating Isaac Yiadom on a third and short for a 43-yard gain.
His chemistry in his Raiders debut with Derek Carr was tremendous early on as Carr continued to find Williams and Darren Waller frequently throughout the night.
"“We’ve been working together in the offseason a lot,” Williams told reporters after Monday’s game. “I know he has a lot of confidence in me and I have a lot of confidence in him. We just have a lot of fun playing together.”"
Williams couldn’t be stopped by Denver’s defense backs as they scuffled covering him with his height and alarming speed. He was superior in winning the contested catch when Carr threw him jump balls, going up to win the battle.
Carr appeared confident in throwing to his newly acquired weapon, targeting Williams seven times. With Monday night’s performance, Oakland must have some positive energy moving forward with Williams as their No.1 option with the kind of night he showed in his debut at the Oakland Coliseum.
After all the stigma surrounding the Raiders, they came out of the gates swinging and posted a statement win on Monday night football. As it turns out, Williams is ready to roll as the team’s ‘go-to’ option in the passing game.