For Jimmy Garoppolo, his regular season debut for the Las Vegas Raiders went well as he managed to lead the team to their first win of the 2023 NFL season.
Garoppolo led a second-half comeback against the Denver Broncos as the Raiders were down 13-10 at halftime. Both teams managed to chew up the clock, which led to fewer scoring opportunities, but Garoppolo threw what ended up being the game-winning touchdown to Jakobi Meyers in the fourth quarter.
For all the concerns about his injury history, Garoppolo looked comfortable for most of the afternoon against Denver despite him still getting used to his new teammates. His poise when the team was trailing was also impressive, something that Davante Adams noted as he talked about his leadership.
“How would I describe him? I would say he leads by example. I mean, he’s not going to tell you to do anything that he wouldn’t do. And I mean, he’s the type of guy that you wouldn’t mind getting behind because you can kind of feel that passion and that fire, especially in the moment. And he went out there and made a critical mistake in the redzone, and then bounced back on the next drive with a hell of a drive, and that’s not easy to do.
“So, when you’ve got teammates that can kind of fight through adversity like that, and the immediate adversity like that as well, it’s not just bounce back the next week and not doing it, but correcting it right on the spot and coming back with a strong drive – and then obviously the last drive that won the game. It says a lot about who you who you got kind of running your team.”
Although Meyers ended up being the leading receiver for Las Vegas, Garoppolo and Adams showed their budding chemistry as they were able to connect on six receptions for 66 yards. It wasn’t the most standout performance for Adams, but his first real game with Garoppolo was still encouraging.
As for the leadership piece, Garoppolo certainly has the demeanor of someone who would prefer to let the work speak for him. Although he wasn’t perfect in his first game for the Silver and Black, the veteran showed fans that he’s able to remain calm under pressure, and that’s already earned him the respect of people like Adams.
