Are Raiders fans running out of patience with Darren Waller?
Are Raiders fans running out of patience with Darren Waller?
What does Darren Waller think about all of this?
Whether fans like it or not, neither Waller nor McDaniels are going anywhere. Mark Davis has expressed public support for his head coach, and Dave Ziegler actually expressed optimism, echoing that he’s “impressed” with the job that McDaniels has done so far.
As far as Waller is concerned, he spoke with Austin Boyd of Heavy Sports recently. During that interview, the tight end shed light on the complexity of McDaniels’ offense, which further backs up the theory that this Raiders team is still transitioning, Waller included (despite the injuries).
"“Yeah, it’s definitely challenging. [It] has taken time for a lot of people, and it will continue to take time. You really see guys flourish in like the third year of an offense but now you’re starting to see people really turn the corner because there’s so many little, small nuances, little, small adjustments and reactions that you need to have to whatever the defense does. It’s hard when you can’t do all those things perfectly and then right all the time, it takes time to really get those habits in the vernacular, things like that into your system. So, it’s going to continue to take time. Guys are going to continue to grow and get better at it. And that’s only going on to turn into a better offensive product in the field.”"
What’s incredibly frustrating for Raiders fans is that the offense has shown remarkable glimpses of what’s possible. Jacobs’ imposing run in the three games before the Saints game, which garnered him national attention, is a prime example. Even the much-maligned offensive line was seeing praise for its improvement along the lines of run-blocking.
It’s just really all yet to come together for this squad.
The fans’ frustration over Waller’s perceived lack of interest stems from the team’s struggles. If the Raiders were .500 at this juncture, all of the focus would be on how the team is progressing. Instead, at 2–5, we’re seeing issues get magnified and fans start looking for ways to blame someone—in this case, Waller’s getting scapegoated.
In reality, it’s a classic case of buyer’s remorse. The same people who were clamoring for a new Waller contract are the same ones publicly burying him.
The Raiders know full well the talent they have in Waller, but a nagging ailment is keeping him from being implemented. No. 83 isn’t going anywhere, and in such a long season, he still has a chance to get things going; maybe he’ll “redeem” himself in the eyes of so many doubters. We’ll have to wait and see.