3 years ago
277
The Raiders were missing prima Darren Waller for the NFL’s yearly designation of National Tight End Day connected Sunday.
Foster Moreau made definite the radical could inactive celebrate.
The backup stepped successful admirably aft Waller was a precocious scratch with an ankle injury, mounting vocation highs with six catches connected six targets for 60 yards and a touchdown successful a 33-22 triumph implicit the Eagles astatine Allegiant Stadium.
Waller suffered the wounded precocious successful Friday’s signifier and tested it connected the tract earlier the crippled and decided helium couldn’t play. He went straight to Moreau to archer him it was clip to measurement up.
“We worked our butt disconnected with Darren the past 48 hours to effort to get him acceptable to go,” Moreau said. “He sets the standard. He’s our guy; he’s our offense. He’s a big, large person connected this team. Obviously, I person a batch of reverence for the guy. … I’m truly thankful for Darren.”
The Raiders are thankful for Moreau, who besides excelled arsenic a blocker and recovered a precocious onside footwear to assistance seal the win. He entered the crippled with conscionable six targets and 4 catches this play earlier the breakout performance.
“We judge Foster is simply a starting choky end,” backmost Derek Carr said. “So erstwhile helium has to play, it’s not like, ‘Oh, man, Darren is out.’ It’s, ‘Oh, Foster gets to play.’ That’s the mindset.”
It was a cleanable clip for a breakout show astatine the position.
“Shout retired to Foster Moreau stepping up for Darren Waller connected National Tight End Day,” moving backmost Kenyan Drake said. “I cognize that’s large for him.”
The time was archetypal referenced arsenic a gag by 49ers backmost Jimmy Garoppolo aft Garrett Celek scored a touchdown successful Week 2 of the 2018 season. Star choky extremity George Kittle picked up the torch and ran with it publicly, and the league started recognizing it connected the 4th Sunday of October the pursuing season.
Moreau made the astir of it Sunday, including a highlight-reel touchdown arsenic helium pinned a propulsion from Carr to the helmet of information Marcus Epps successful the extremity zone.
The erstwhile Louisiana State standout said helium noted a sum presnap lone to spot the defence alteration tactics astatine the snap.
“I conscionable ran for 5 yards similar the Tasmanian devil and had nary thought what I was doing,” Moreau said. “Thank deity for Derek conscionable giving maine a chance. I conscionable benignant of blacked retired connected the catch. I inactive haven’t truly seen it. Just blessed to get in.”
Fortunately for him, the item volition beryllium shown plenty. Fortunately for the Raiders, who person a bye week connected deck, Waller shouldn’t beryllium retired long.
On Sunday, Waller could lone mentor Moreau from the sideline. Turns out, he’s beauteous bully astatine that, too.
“He conscionable preached assurance and gave maine a batch of wisdom,” Moreau said. “He told maine it was going to beryllium a dogfight. He takes 95 percent of each snaps. The feline is simply a warrior.”
Moreau proved he’s not excessively atrocious himself.
“We person bully players,” Carr said. “This isn’t lone (Waller’s) team. Did we miss him? Absolutely. Darren knows however I consciousness astir him, and I deliberation you guys do, too. I deliberation the targets talk for however I consciousness astir him.
“Foster proved however bully helium is and however invaluable helium is to this organization. What an accidental for him, and helium stepped up and made immoderate outstanding plays for us.”
Contact Adam Hill astatine ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ connected Twitter.
English (US) ·