Even coming off a career year it's ‘same s–t different day' for Raiders WR Jakobi Meyers
Proving himself has just become a way of life for Jakobi Meyers. So much so that even after coming off his best season in which he didn't drop a pass and went over 1000 yards for the first time, the approach that got him here remains.
"Same s–t, different day,' Meyers said of coming into this season as the Raiders top receiver. 'I've been doing this since I got in the league, nothing changed. I'm really just trying to make plays and go about my business."
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Meyers entered the league undrafted out of NC State back in 2019. He made the Patriots roster, and saw his numbers go up each of his first three seasons. Though midway through that third season he still carried an unwanted distinction of having the longest streak of catches without having scored a touchdown.
That streak came to an end in week ten of 2021 and he has never looked back.
After his fourth season in New England, he entered free agency and the Raiders signed him to a lucrative long term deal.
In the past two seasons for the Raiders, he has set new career highs. First season it was career highs in catches (71) and touchdowns (eight). This season it was catches again (87) and yards (1027). And he added one other notch – zero drops.
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That dependability has his new coaches and quarterback feeling pretty confident in him as a target in this offense.
'Anything thrown in his direction, he seems to somehow come down (with),' OC Chip Kelly said of Meyers. 'He's got a really good understanding of coverage and schemes, where he knows how to get himself open at the appropriate time. And that's part of it. Being a receiver is you have to be where you're supposed to be when you're supposed to be there with separation and catch a football and he can do all four of those things.'
The new quarterback in the building is Geno Smith, who comes over in trade with the Seattle Seahawks. The 34-year-old's situation is not dissimilar to that of Jakobi. Both are veterans who despite a few years of sustained marginal success, must continually go out and prove their worth and strive to take the next step.
"I think it's the same mentality, honestly,' Meyers said of Smith. 'He's got a family that he's trying to feed, and he's trying to more so prove to himself that he's got what it takes to be out here. And it's the same with me; I'm trying to feed my family and also go out here and show that I could be a dominant football player and do the things that take to help the team win. That's pretty much it, honestly, simple."
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Smith comes with familiarity in Pete Carroll's system. And Carroll and the Raiders chose Geno as their new starter as opposed to the new staff accepting an established starting QB. But after years of being relegated to backup status in his late twenties, Smith knows the deal. He also knows his best bet is to get the ball to Jakobi who is his most dependable receiver.
"It's my job to throw him the ball, and get it to him in the right places and make it easy on him,' Smith said of targeting Meyers in the offense. 'Make the catches easy for him. I know he's going to make great catches and make me look good all the time. So my job is to make sure that I'm feeding him the ball and getting the ball in the right spots. And allow him to go out there and be great and get his shine on."
Both players are in a position now where they must play well enough to rise above replacement level. That may seem harsh, but that's just the way it is in the NFL. Meyers is entering what is essentially his final season due to void years after this season and Smith is 34-years-old. Which means if either of them don't take a step up and prove to the team that they are the best options at their positions, they could be gone. Meyers not re-signed – or at least not at a number he would accept – and Smith would be replaced by a drafted QB.
No one wants to see that happen.
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Meyers celebrated his first 1000-yard season with his teammates. But that milestone is behind him now. Now it's about what he does for an encore. That means trying to keep his streak with no drops alive, while outdoing himself.
The grind never stops. 'Same s–t, different day.'
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: 'Same s–t different day' for Raiders Jakobi Meyers even off milestones
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