Raiders’ Jakobi Meyers Becoming Red Zone Standout Despite Passing Game Struggles

The Las Vegas Raiders are at a crossroads with their 2023 season after a disappointing 30-12 loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday. While those with a past connection with the New England Patriots are struggling, you know who isn’t? Jakobi Meyers.

Meyers has continued to produce consistent numbers during the up-and-down campaign in Sin City. However, with the entire Raiders quarterback situation, if the Silver and Black had someone under center that could get the most out of him, perhaps the 26-year-old would have even better numbers.

Still, Meyers is one of the bright spots for Las Vegas; let’s dive into the latest on the Raiders receiver.

First-year Raiders wideout Jakobi Meyers continues to find the end zone

Las Vegas’ offense has struggled in 2023. Davante Adams has been vocal about how the passing game specifically hasn’t met his standards. Nonetheless, Meyers is finding success despite the Raiders’ struggles at quarterback.

Jimmy Garoppolo has dealt with injuries all year, Aidan O’Connell is a rookie, and Brian Hoyer was underwhelming in the loss to the Bears. Still, Meyers has registered three straight games with a touchdown.

In his last two contests, the North Carolina State product has recorded 12 receptions on 20 targets. Furthermore, Meyers racked up 111 receiving yards, averaging 9.3 yards per catch. The yards could be better, but the ascending pass catcher is turning himself into a reliable red zone target.

The Raiders public relations team pointed out that Meyers’ touchdown against Chicago meant he notched his fifth trip to the end zone of the season. He is currently tied for the third-most receiving touchdowns in the NFL in 2023.

What’s next for Meyers?

It seems that Jimmy Garoppolo will return as the starter, which is good news for Meyers. The No. 2 man in the passing game has a good connection with Jimmy G. Still, even with the veteran returning, the Las Vegas air attack will continue to be subpar.

At 3-4, Meyers and Co. will attempt to get back to .500 against a Detroit Lions squad whose pass defense is just outside the bottom-10. The Lions’ secondary had given up 1,327 receiving yards and eight passing touchdowns entering Sunday’s action. With a 38-6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the meantime, those numbers are going up.

Can the Raiders take advantage of a secondary that struggled this past Sunday against Lamar Jackson? They should, but under head coach Josh McDaniels, the Silver and Black cannot seem to take advantage of bad teams overall or defenses with a weakness in the secondary.