Raiders vs Chargers: 3 surprises from the 2021 Week 18 victory

2 of 3

Jan 9, 2022; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller (83) cannot make a catch on a tipped pass during the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports /

Raiders vs Chargers: 3 Surprises from the 2021 Week 18 victory

Waller shaky in his return from injury

One of the big storylines for the Raiders down the stretch was whether or not they were going to get Darren Waller back. The elite tight end had battled knee and back injuries, as well as COVID since leaving the team’s Thanksgiving Day victory over Dallas with an injury, so his status for this matchup was a game-time decision.

Well, Waller did in fact play, as the Raiders finally looked to get back to as healthy as they have been in a while, but he struggled in his return. Between a few drops, and him only hauling in two passes for 22 yards, Waller did not have the kind of return that many were expecting, so hopefully he can get back on track for the Wild Card game against Cincinnati.

The truth is, Waller was coming back from some significant injuries, so we probably should have figured there would be some cobwebs in his first game back. However, this is Darren Waller we are talking about, so the expectations are a bit higher when it comes to him, so to see him struggle was a bit of a surprise on Sunday night.

Home/Las Vegas Raiders News