Raiders Could Find Michael Mayer Useful Against Packers
Another week of football, another week of the Las Vegas Raiders' second-round draft pick being underutilized. While defenses can dictate what an offense runs, so does the offense.
Tight end Michael Mayer has one reception for two yards and zero touchdowns through four games. The bigger issue is that Mayer has only been targeted twice in four games.
Considering how those games have gone for Las Vegas, it is simply hard to explain how two quarterbacks for the Raiders have failed even to try throwing Mayer the ball.
Mayer is as naturally talented of a tight end as has come out of college the last few years or will in the next few years. While he still has much to learn, few tight ends were as NFL-ready as Mayer when they entered the league.
"We had a couple of things in the game for him this past week in L.A. and the game kind of went a certain way where we had to help with the protection," Raiders Offensive Coordinator Mick Lombardi said.
"Obviously he plays a big part in that in terms of on the edge and things of that nature. And sometimes the ball finds you, sometimes it doesn't.
"[Austin] Hoop [Hooper] caught a ball on a play and got nine yards, and then we had a chance to in the first quarter to hit Michael [Mayer] down the seam and we threw to [Davante] Tae [Adams]. So, there were a couple opportunities for him to get the football. He wasn't in there on a few of those that went to Hoop."
For an offense that has struggled as much as the Raiders' has, under-utilizing their weapons could be part of the reason they have yet to score 20 points in a game this season.
Fortunately for Mayer, the Packers' defense has been somewhat susceptible to tight ends this season. Through four games, the Packers' defense gives up nearly an average of five catches for an average of 10 yards per catch to tight ends.
Every tight end the Packers faced this season has had more targets, catches, and yards in one game against the Packers than Mayer has had through four games combined.
Surely, the Raiders can find a way to use their second-round draft pick to help spark an offense that sorely needs it. They didn't draft him that high to block for the last-ranked rushing offense in the NFL.
The Silver and Black return home to Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas tonight to play the Green Bay Packers at 8:15 p.m. EDT/5:15 p.m. PDT.
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