Raiders’ Jakobi Meyers shines on national spotlight
If Davante Adams didn’t play for the Raiders, then slowing teammate Jakobi Meyers would become the focus of opposing secondaries, the All-Pro said.
Instead, Meyers is the beneficiary of the double teams and brackets designed to stop one of the NFL’s elite wide receivers.
“Any time he’s one-on-one, I’m expecting (Meyers) to win that,” said Adams, again the focal point of an opposing defensive scheme Monday. “That’s the type of player that he is, and he’s done that so far this year. He’s done a good job taking advantage of his opportunities.”
Meyers indeed made the most of “Monday Night Football,” catching a team-high seven passes for 75 yards and a touchdown in a 17-13 victory over the Green Bay Packers at Allegiant Stadium. His touchdown capped a 14-play, 62-yard drive in the second quarter that covered 8:28 and gave the Raiders a 7-3 lead — one of the team’s most impressive possessions this season.
“We put a lot of work into that throughout the week. We focus on completing drives, executing plays,” Meyers said. “That’s what we all play for, just to see drives like that where we go and make them get tired. We know we’re not tired. We enjoy that.”
A free-agent signee by way of the New England Patriots, Meyers has settled nicely into a new role with the Raiders — emerging as a complement to Adams and a trusted target for quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. In four games, Meyers has 25 receptions, 274 yards and three touchdowns, missing a Week 2 blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills with a concussion.
Twitchy at 6 feet, 2 inches and 200 pounds, Meyers is a refined route runner with reliable hands and a knack for shaking free from defenders or settling into the gaps of a zone, precisely what he did with 4:09 to play in the first half.
Standing in the slot to Garoppolo’s left on Green Bay’s 9-yard line, Meyers slanted inside Packers safety Rudy Ford and presented Garoppolo with an easy touchdown target.
“They had (Ford) 10 yards back, and it was me and him one-on-one, kind of,” Meyers said. “I knew I could get a quick catch. Just finish it in the end zone.”
With Meyers established in the second half, Adams, who had one catch and one target in the first half, finally broke free with three receptions and 33 yards on the game-winning drive — a methodical 10-play, 75-yarder that concluded on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Meyers also had a key catch on that drive, an 8-yarder on third down that pushed the Raiders farther into Green Bay territory. In all three games he’s played with Garoppolo, he’s totaled or exceeded seven receptions, 10 targets and 75 yards.
“(Our chemistry) is getting better day by day,” Meyers said. “Quickly, honestly. I’m enjoying it. I’m enjoying the offense. We’re just trying to, like I said, progress every day.”
Contact Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on X.