The Las Vegas Raiders snapped their four-game losing streak with a 20-10 win over the Tennessee Titans on October 12 at Allegiant Stadium. Moreover, this contest marked the return of Michael Mayer, who missed the last two games due to a concussion.
Las Vegas had a conservative passing game in an attempt to limit the turnovers, and Mayer benefited from that game plan as he recorded a touchdown along with 50 receiving yards on five receptions.
Furthermore, with no Brock Bowers in this matchup, Mayer was the only big target for Geno Smith in the middle of the field. After the win, Mayer spoke to “Raiders Postgame Live” and gave a lot of credit to Smith for his big game against the Titans.
“We’ve been working on it all week long. But what it’s really about is taking the opportunities that I can that arise throughout the gameâwhether that be first, second quarter, or the second halfâand doing what I can with them.
“Geno did a great job today, man. Geno did a great job finding the open receiver [and] finding me when I was open. That fourth down was a really, really good find for me on a side view. So props to Geno for that. Really good day for him finding the open receiver. And for me, it’s about getting open and then Geno finding me.”
Raiders’ Michael Mayer Opens Up About Return
Moreover, he shared his emotions of returning to the field after undoing concussion protocol, finally getting the green light to play, and, more importantly, contributing to a win that moves the team’s record to 2-4.
“It feels great being back out there with my guys, being back out there with Geno,” Mayer added. “The offense feels really, really good. As you can see, we had some really, really good drives today, and we’re going to build off that. We’re going to do a good job. I’m excited about the win â I really am. I’m excited I could help this team get a W, both on special teams and on offense.”
Pete Carroll Talks Michael Mayer’s Performance
Raiders head coach Pete Carroll also praised Mayer’s performance, as it allowed Smith to have that safety net and not have to take shots down the field and risk potential interceptions.
“[We missed] his contribution there because he’s a stud at what he does on special teams and [he] helped us again today,” Carroll said postgame. “But he had a big game, you know, coming back.
“He’s been waiting for weeks to get back out there, so he’s pretty hungry for it. [He had] a couple terrific catches and runs, and then the touchdown play was a stud, so he was really fired up about getting in the end zone.”
Mayer’s strong performance could give the Raiders reason to stay patient and ensure Bowers is fully healthy before returning from his injury. Once both tight ends are on the field, Smith could have two reliable targets across the middle, reducing the need to rely on deep throws.
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