Raiders: Getting Darren Waller back changes everything for the offense
By Brad Weiss
The Las Vegas Raiders have been without Darren Waller since Thanksgiving Day, but all of that could change Week 17 against the Indianapolis Colts.
During their Thanksgiving Day victory against the Dallas Cowboys, the Las Vegas Raiders offense put up 36 points. Thanks to the deep play threat of DeSean Jackson, and Derek Carr not being afraid to take shots downfield, the Raiders put together their best offensive performance since before the bye week.
However, it was not all positive for the Raiders in that one, as they saw star tight end Darren Waller go down with a significant knee injury. Since that matchup, Waller has yet to return to the field, but all of that could change heading into the team’s biggest game of the season against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 17.
Since then, the Raiders have struggled offensively, as they have not gotten consistent play from everyone on the offense that is not named Hunter Renfrow. In Week 16, we did see the reemergence of Josh Jacobs at running back, as he tallied his first 100-yard game of the season, but we need to see more from that before we consider that a strength once again.
In Week 17, Waller could join the fold, as interim head coach Rich Bisaccia feels he could be on the field during the team’s practice on Wednesday. That is monster news for this offense, especially with a ton of defensive players going down with COVID on Monday, as well as how bad this team has looked on the offensive side of the ball since the bye week for the most part.
Raiders getting Waller back changes everything
With how well Renfrow has been playing, as well as the way Jacobs looked in Week 16, you have to be excited with what this offense could look like with Waller back in the fold. The offensive line has looked much better the last two weeks, and with Waller back, this is about as healthy as they have looked since the bye week on that side of the ball.
Indianapolis has an offense that can put up points in bunches, so getting back an All-Pro talent at such a premium position could make a world of a difference on Sunday afternoon. Waller may be a bit hobbled, as it was a pretty significant knee injury, but this gives Carr another weapon to utilize, especially in short-yardage situations.
Las Vegas may be a big underdog in this game, but they have a chance, and as we saw with the Houston vs Chargers game in Week 16, anything can happen this time of year. Indianapolis also has some key defensive players out due to COVID this week, so the stars could be aligning for an outstanding showing for this offense on Sunday.