Darren Waller makes Raiders history against Dolphins
Raiders #Raiders
Darren Waller’s week got even better Saturday night when he made Raiders history against the Dolphins.
Waller, who was voted to the Pro Bowl team for the first time on Monday, became the only tight end in the Raiders’ 60-year history to have 90-plus catches and 1,000 yards receiving in back-to-back seasons. He also set a team record for Raiders tight end with 98 catches this season.
“It’s definitely cool. It means a lot to break a record. I don’t think I’ve ever done anything like that before,” Waller said.
Waller’s historical night came while he was catching five passes for 112 yards while doing what he’s done all season — confounding his opponent’s defense.
Of course, the Dolphins managed to do quite a number on the Raiders’ defense in the final seconds while coming away with a 26-25 loss.
Even more impressive, the five-year veteran set the record Saturday while working against Eric Rowe, who shuts downs so many tight ends that some many him the “Tight End Eraser.”
Waller came into the game needing 33 receiving yards to top the 1,000-yard mark, and he accomplished that in the first half against the Dolphins’ safety who has shut down most every tight end this season, including the 49ers’ George Kittle, who had just four catches for 44 yards against him in Week 5.
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Waller had three catches for 57 yards by halftime, which was already more yardage Rowe had given up to any tight end not named Travis Kelce this season. The All-Pro Kelce had eight catches for 136 yards and a touchdown with Rowe in primary coverage two weeks ago. Before Kelce, the most yards Rowe had surrendered was 55 by Denver’s Noah Fant.
Waller’s first catch of the game Saturday came on the final play of the first quarter when he beat Rowe on a go pattern for a 29-yard gain. Waller spiked the ball in celebration after his catch.
It was the first of at least three times Saturday when Waller was more animated than usual after grabbing a long pass, including his electrifying 33-yard grab against Rowe at the end of the third quarter.
It turns out there was a good reason for Waller’s added exuberance Saturday. There’s a little history between Waller and Rowe, who first faced each other as college freshmen nine years ago when Waller and Georgia Tech played Rowe and Utah in the 2011 Sun Bowl.
Rowe was also on the field with the Patriots when Waller caught his second (and last) touchdown pass with the Ravens four years ago.
“I feel like playing against Eric tonight definitely brought the best out of me.” Waller said. “He has a lot of coverage ability, being a former corner. He’s just like a very versatile player and can do a lot of things. So I feel like just his ability alone brought the best out of me, and it was a battle out there between us.”
Waller’s best was good enough for him to join Todd Christensen as the only tight ends in Raiders history to get more than 1,000 receiving yards in a season. Christensen did it three times, including back-to-back seasons in 1983 and ’84. Waller has now done it twice, but he’s one-upped Christensen — and every other tight end to ever suit up for the Raiders — by also doing it while catching 90 passes.
The Raiders’ newly honored Pro Bowl tight end also broke Christensen’s single-season record for most catches by a tight end with his third catch, which gave him one more than Christensen’s 95 receptions in 1986.
Christensen’s son, Teren, acknowledged Waller for surpassing the achievements of his late father, a five-time Pro Bowl and two-time All-Pro tight end who has gotten some Hall of Fame support in years past.
“Congratulations to Darren Waller. He’s a great player,” Teren Christensen tweeted during the game.
Up next for Waller is Tim Brown’s Raiders record of 104 catches in 1997. But he’ll need seven catches in the season finale against Denver to set another Raiders record.
Should Waller add another Raiders record to his resume next week, he’ll be the first to tell you it wouldn’t be a solo job.
“It’s cool and I appreciate everything that goes into (setting a record),” he said. “The quarterback throwing it, the time that he needs from the offensive line to throw it, the receivers that are running their routes and clearing out areas for me to make a play. So there’s a lot of people that goes into it.”
While that humility is admirable, Raiders coach Jon Gruden made sure everyone knows what a special player they have in Waller.
“He’s one of the best players I’ve ever seen play football.”