Raiders’ passing game struggles despite addition of Davante Adams

Davante Adams thought back to training camp in August, when he effortlessly separated from seemingly every defender in sight — creating throwing lanes for Derek Carr and space for his fellow pass catchers to occupy.

When there was rhythm and flow and cadence to completions.

When everything seemed simple for the Raiders and their passing offense.

“But then you get game-planned for and different things that we haven’t worked together as a bunch for years,” their All-Pro wide receiver said. “So it’s just a learning experience and part of the growing process. And we’re trying to build up to get it to where we want to be. But that’s pretty much where we’re at right now.”

Training camp is but a memory for the Raiders, who sport the NFL’s 17th-ranked passing offense after adding Adams to what was the sixth-ranked passing offense last season. They averaged 269.4 passing yards last season compared with 242.4 this season, their first under coach Josh McDaniels.

Carr, Adams, slot receiver Hunter Renfrow and Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller are on pace for their worst statistical campaigns in several years.

In a 24-0 loss last Sunday to the New Orleans Saints, Carr threw for 101 yards and an interception to post a passer rating of 50.3 — the third-lowest mark of his career and worst since Dec. 25, 2017. Adams caught one pass for 3 yards. Renfrow caught one for 6 yards. Waller missed his second consecutive game with a hamstring injury.

Another outing like that is unlikely, but the passing offense hasn’t jelled the way it did this summer, and its potential remains exactly that.

Potential.

“There’s going to be bumps in the road. You hope they’re not like that, hopefully you win the game, and you can learn from them, but that wasn’t the case,” Carr said. “But I know what we’re capable of, and we’ve shown it at times. The part for us is just to try and be more consistent. The more consistent everyone is, the better the product will be at the end.”

Potential versus production

Without Adams in 2021, Carr threw for a career-high 4,808 yards and 23 touchdowns — completing 68.4 percent of his passes to exceed 67 percent for the fourth consecutive season. Renfrow emerged as one of the NFL’s top slot receivers and unpredictable route runners, catching 103 passes for 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns.

Waller battled injuries but averaged 60.5 receiving yards in 11 games.

The midseason release of wide receiver Henry Ruggs affected the way in which the offense operated, but Carr still distributed the football accurately to a brigade of pass catchers that Adams bolstered upon his arrival via trade with the Green Bay Packers. Adams caught a career-high 123 passes for a career-high 1,553 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, mostly from two-time reigning league MVP and Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

In theory, the skill sets of Adams, Renfrow and Waller are harmonious — and present Carr and McDaniels with a variety of options and defenses a variety of challenging decisions.

Adams is one of the league’s most complete receivers, providing the Raiders with the deep threat they lacked after the release of Ruggs. Renfrow is a technician underneath, and Waller offers a dizzying combination of speed and size and thrives at all three levels.

But Renfrow has missed two games with a concussion, and Waller has been bothered by his hamstring — leaving opposing teams to double Adams at their convenience. Another hamstring injury limited Waller during training camp, and Carr said “we haven’t really had them all together to see what it could really look like.”

“But with that said, again, it doesn’t matter,” said Carr, who has topped 300 passing yards in one of seven games this season. “Our job is whoever’s out there, the expectation is still the expectation.”

Being featured more amid the injuries is veteran wideout Mack Hollins, who already has a career-high 381 receiving yards on 26 receptions. A former special-teamer for the Miami Dolphins, Hollins plays 94 percent of the offensive snaps and is thriving in an expanded role.

The same can’t be said for Carr, Adams, Renfrow or Waller.

Playing behind the NFL’s ninth-best pass-blocking offensive line, per Pro Football Focus, Carr is averaging 231.6 passing yards per game — the fewest since his rookie season. His completion percentage of 62.9 and yards per attempt of 6.8 are his lowest since 2017.

That despite an average of 2.6 seconds in the pocket per Pro Football Reference, the most in the NFL.

Consequentially, Adams is averaging 73.1 receiving yards per game, the fewest he’s logged since 2017. He remains dominant when featured, eclipsing 100 yards in three games and adding 95 in a fourth. But teams have successfully stymied him in the other three games, and his 12 yards in Week 2 represent with his Week 8 outing in New Orleans his two least productive games since he had 12 receiving yards Oct. 22, 2017.

Renfrow hasn’t found his rhythm, averaging 3.6 receptions per game and 33.2 yards compared with 6.1 receptions last season for 61.1 yards. Waller hasn’t played since the first quarter in Week 5 and is catching 3.2 passes for 35 yards per game. He averaged 5.9 receptions for 69.9 yards in the previous three campaigns.

“Just because on paper something looks good, it doesn’t always add up. … It’s a different offense. Obviously, that changes things,” Renfrow said. “I think it’s hopefully coming together.”

Time for a turnaround?

Perhaps it’s worth noting that the Raiders’ first-team offense didn’t play during the preseason. Not a single snap, leaving Week 1 to double as the dress rehearsal and opening night. That, former Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon believes, is an issue when attempting to establish continuity in a new scheme under a new coaching staff.

Gannon also noted the injuries to Renfrow and Waller, but added “other teams are dealing with the same things. No one’s going to feel sorry for you in this business.”

The onus, Gannon says, is on McDaniels “to be creative as a play caller” despite the injuries to maximize Adams and “find ways to get other guys involved.”

“And the quarterback, look, he can play better. I don’t think there’s any secret to that,” said Gannon, the 2002 NFL MVP and current analyst for CBS Sports Network’s “NFL Monday QB” show. “That position is so critical, if Derek can elevate his game, those guys get healthy, get back on the field,” then maybe the Raiders can make a playoff run.

Waller might play Sunday, giving them their full complement of pass catchers for the first time in a month, and the Jacksonville Jaguars offer the league’s 22nd-ranked pass defense.

“We’re looking forward to having a full group out there that’s able to work week to week and improve week to week. And I think that will pay dividends,” Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler said. “But … it hasn’t been good enough up to this point. Do we want it to be better? Do we expect it to be better? Yes.”

Staff reporter Vincent Bonsignore contributed to this report. Contact Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.