Title: Davante Adams Overcomes Injured Shoulder as Las Vegas Raiders Defeat Green Bay Packers
Date: October 10, 2023
Author: Paul Gutierrez, ESPN Staff Writer
LAS VEGAS — Davante Adams, wide receiver for the Las Vegas Raiders, battled through a painful shoulder injury to help his new team secure a 17-13 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Monday night.
Adams, who needed assistance to remove his shoulder pads in the locker room after the game, expressed relief that his team emerged victorious against his former team, the Packers. The receiver, who was drafted by Green Bay in 2014 and traded to Las Vegas in 2022, stated, “I wish I could have been able to send them off with a few more plays made, but at the end of the day, we beat them. Now nobody can make up this crazy narrative and talk about how I shouldn’t have left and all of this stuff that was getting ready to come if we didn’t win. So, glad to get that win over them today. We just want to beat everybody.”
Adams sustained the shoulder injury in the previous week’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers when he was forcefully tackled by cornerback Michael Davis. Although Adams returned to the game, he missed two days of practice during the week but was able to participate in a limited capacity on Saturday. He was listed as questionable for “Monday Night Football.”
In the first half against the Packers, Adams had only one reception for 12 yards. However, he ignited in the third quarter with three rapid-fire catches – 21 yards, 5 yards, and 7 yards respectively – on slant passes. These plays set up running back Josh Jacobs’ 2-yard touchdown run at the beginning of the fourth quarter, which ultimately secured the victory for the Raiders.
Reflecting on his performance, Adams commented, “We just found a way to execute. Got a call for me, and then I just went up and won the matchup, and it was as simple as that, basically.” On his 21-yard pickup, Adams was matched up against linebacker Preston Smith.
Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur acknowledged the disadvantage of having a linebacker cover Adams in the slot, stating, “Yeah, that’s happened a lot when Davante was playing for us… credit to them. They schemed it up, they knew what to do when we put that personnel in the game.”
Despite the competition, Adams expressed respect for his former teammates, saying, “It was hard not to be friendly with a couple of those guys out there just because I’m so used to being on the same side of the field with them. It was a lot of respect out there, on both sides. So, it was good to see them, good to chop it up before and after. And like I said, still glad we beat them, but it was good to see those guys.”
Adams, who is determined to play through his shoulder discomfort, assured reporters that he will be on the field for the Raiders’ upcoming game against the New England Patriots in Las Vegas on Sunday. He noted, “Not great, but it’s good enough to get through it. It’s better than a week ago… I’m going to be playing. But, I mean, it’s got to take time to heal, but I’ll be out there.”