The Adams and Carr connection boom or bust?
The Saga of Davante Adams enters a new chapter. Its no secret that one of the biggest blockbuster trades of the off season was and remains Green Bay sending Adams to the Raiders. However, this has also caused quite the ruckus throughout the league. The biggest question right now remains to be answered. How will Adams fair without Rodgers. His skill is undeniable leading the league in yards and touchdowns over the last five years. But it also came from the hands of one of the best to ever lace them up. Now Adams has to learn a whole new system, with a new ball caller. One that, even for all his recent brilliance has never been “the guy”. Additionally, Adams has never known anything else, nor has he had to face the extremely stacked AFC West, which is a much different beast from the rather lackluster NFC North. For now though, we can only wait for the games to begin to get any real answer. Practice makes perfect but it never compares to game day.
Adams is Dangerous
Adams and Rodgers where the number one threat in the league during their tenure. Though arguably boosted by one of the softest divisions in the league. Lets just admit that it does make it a little easier when the list of “get through” opponents includes the Bears, Lions, and Vikings. All teams that are certainly still in the “right the ship” stage of their existence. However, you cant take away what the Packers, and their commanding duo was able to do outside of their own division either. The Packers posted up an impressive winning record during the duration that the Adams/Rodgers connection existed, and perhaps more impressively also managed to set top 5 all time records in multiple categories. Adam’s saga with Green Bay produced 669 receptions, and 73 touchdown receptions both second all time, tack on 8,121 yards for a fourth all time finish in seven years.
Those alone are impressive but the time it took is even more, additionally for most of his career with exception of the 2014 season Adams posted a 1st down percentage near 60% every year. All this together highlights just how magical and dangerous that connection was. However, one can not speak on all the good this connection created without commenting on the struggles it has seen. While the overall regular season record certainly shows that there was plenty of pop between Adams and Rodgers, and any length of film study will confirm that time and time again, the simple fact of the matter is that even so championships proved to be elusive. So what was missing, what was the final piece to put it all over the top?
Carr and Adams connection
But that is all in the past, now we have to look at the future. Both Adams and Carr are within their prime years. Carr has been absolutely on fire in recent memory and Adams has met that pace easily. Looking at the numbers in 2021: Carr posted 4,084 yards and 428 completions, both career highs. Adams put up career highs as well with 123 receptions, and 1,553 yards. So its clear that this could be a dangerous combination just by how well both operated last year.
However, the kicker to this connection is that we have already seen it before, at Frezno State. That saga created 3,031 yards, 233 receptions, and 38 touchdowns in 36 games. Now of course I will not discount that it is certainly different this time, both have not played meaningfully together since then and Adams is moving into a new system with new coaches and all that comes with it. However, Carr and Adams do already know each other and at least some of their habits when it comes to game day, it might be a newer shinier model of the bike they rode at Frezno but its still similar enough that the pickup should be quick.
Raiders bringing it all together
Alright, so we know that Adams and Rodgers was good. We know that Adams and Carr was good though that was far longer back in history. So where does it all stand? Lets break it down, and make a few predictions along the way. One, Adams and Carr are going to be dangerous no doubt about it, pairing up one of the best receivers period with one of the best deep ball throwers in the league is just a no brainer. In fact Carr has been in that discussion for a lot longer than the top 10 finish per Next Gen in 2021, living in that space since 2016. Adams is just a beast, he has an entire toolkit at his disposal each and every play, simply put I have no doubt that it will be a star connection.
Additionally, I feel like there is one more thing that really does help wrap all this together and needs to be addressed. Everyone is well aware of the issues that have surrounded both teams. The Packers saga with Rodgers has been anything but pretty and often seemingly a source of problems. At the same time the Raiders have earned themselves a couple of black eyes. Of the two though I have to tip my hat to the Raiders for handling theirs while we still wait and watch the unfolding story of the wheres, whys, and hows of the rocky relationship that exists in Green Bay. It is an intangible but in this case I think that yes the Raiders pulled the right trigger at the right time.
The Final Word
Just to put it all in one small box. Beware AFC West its going to be a wild year, there are no easy in’s or out’s this time. The Raiders have a good shot at coming out of that war with at least a divisional championship, if not hoisting the Lombardi. Apologies to Mr. Farve, in this case I have to disagree.
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