Week 9 was a miserable performance by the Las Vegas Raiders, falling 38-17 to the San Francisco 49ers. But let’s see how the weekend fared for a few old friends: Darren Waller, Khalil Mack and Gardner Minshew.
Darren Waller
Score: 26-21 Panthers lose
Stats: 8 catches, 90 yards, 1 TD
Waller hadn’t faced off against the Broncos since he was a Raider, and he made sure everyone in Denver remembered him. Not only was this the tight end’s most productive outing of the season, but it was also the most receiving yards he’s
had in a single game since October 2023. The tight end hasn’t been a huge part of Carolina’s offense this season, but he is on pace to post a 500-yard, seven-touchdown campaign at 34 years old.
Khalil Mack
Score: 44-22 Chargers lose
Stats: 1 tackle
Mack didn’t do anything in this snooze-fest of a game as the Chargers barely showed up. Instead, this is meant to be an update on the veteran’s status in Los Angeles with the NFL Trade deadline coming up on Tuesday. From the sound of it, the former Raider isn’t going anywhere.
“Despite their 0-7 record, the Los Angeles Chargers continue to tell teams that they have no interest in trading Khalil Mack, and the veteran pass rusher will not be going anywhere before Tuesday’s deadline, according to sources,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on Sunday morning. “‘I want Khalil Mack here,’ Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters. ‘Khalil Mack wants to be here.’ The Chargers have prioritized keeping Mack for the leadership he provides and talent he brings, characterizing him as a pillar of the organization. They might be winless, but they are not acting that way in trade discussions regarding any of their players. Los Angeles also doesn’t like the message of giving up on the season. Calls from rival general managers on Justin Herbert, Ladd McConkey and others have received hard nos.”
Gardner Minshew
Score: 17-3 Cardinals lose
Stats: 21/30 (70%), 166 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs
A week after coming off the bench and leading Arizona to a shocking comeback and upset, Minshew was named the starter and got an even bigger vote of confidence with Jacoby Brissett getting traded to the Baltimore Ravens. However, the Cardinals and Minshew didn’t have as much luck this time around. To be fair, Seattle has an elite defense, and the quarterback didn’t turn the ball over. However, of their nine drives, three were three-and-outs, and only two included more than six plays. Ironically, Arizona scored on its opening possession and then didn’t put up any points for the rest of the game.
