Darren Waller's Rise Proves Key for Derek Carr, Raiders Offense

The Las Vegas Raiders survived the New York Jets to get to win No. 7 on Sunday. They did so by the narrowest of margins and only after an aggressive play call by Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams backfired in the waning seconds.

While a win is a win—and the Raiders will certainly take this one—it wasn't a pretty outing for Las Vegas. What was beautiful, though, was the dominant performance of tight end Darren Waller. He consistently provided Derek Carr with a prime target and left the Jets' defense scrambling for answers.

With 200 yards receiving and two touchdowns on the afternoon, Waller proved he is officially one of the league's few elite pass-catching tight ends.

Here's what else we learned in the Raiders' Week 13 win.

Darren Waller Showing He Can Be the NFL's Next Great Tight End

Danny Karnik/Associated Press

Travis Kelce. George Kittle. Darren Waller. There are very few truly elite tight ends in the NFL. Waller is officially one of them. According to NFL Research, he joined Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe as the only tight ends to top 120 yards with two touchdowns in a single half over the past 30 years.

The 28-year-old eventually finished with 200 receiving yards. He's only the sixth tight end to accomplish the feat—according to Pro Football Reference—and it didn't happen by accident.

The emergence of Waller over the last couple of seasons has been huge for the Raiders offense. It has provided Carr with a go-to target and de facto No. 1 receiver while allowing Las Vegas to routinely create mismatches in the passing game.

He can block on the perimeter, outmuscle linebackers on underneath routes and burn deep into the opposing secondary.

"I go out with the mindset that I'm trying to win every single matchup every time I step out there," Waller said, per Kyle Martin of the team's official website.

Signed off the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad in 2018, Waller has exploded with the Raiders. He had 1,145 receiving yards last season but didn't make the Pro Bowl. While he didn't catch the game-winning touchdown on Sunday, he was the biggest difference-maker in the victory.

Raiders' Flaws Exposed as Playoff Hopes Stay Afloat

Noah K. Murray/Associated Press

Waller's big performance was needed, as the Raiders nearly blew this game. They scored the go-ahead touchdowns with less than 20 seconds remaining when Carr found Henry Ruggs III wide open for a 43-yard connection.

The play came only after an ill-fated blitz call from Williams. It was a play call that Jets players have openly criticized.

At 7-5, Las Vegas can be a playoff team. However, they proved in the narrow win in New York and the blowout loss in Atlanta that they are far from a complete team. The defense was particularly problematic on Sunday, as it surrendered 206 rushing yards and 376 total yards to the lowly Jets.

Turnovers have also been a major issue: The Raiders have eight in their last three games, five of which came in the loss to Atlanta.

Las Vegas can be a dangerous team down the stretch and in the postseason—if it can get there. However, the Raiders are also fully capable of beating themselves, which they very nearly did on Sunday.

Josh Jacobs' Absence Notable as Raiders Rushing Attack Held in Check

Isaac Brekken/Associated Press

Waller's big day was also necessary because the Raiders simply couldn't get going on the ground. Starting running back Josh Jacobs was ruled out with an ankle injury, and the offense averaged just 2.9 yards per carry without him.

Devontae Booker, who replaced Jacobs as the starter, had just 50 yards on the ground.

Hopefully, the Raiders will be able to get Jacobs back into the lineup for Week 14, because the odds of Waller and the passing game going off again are slim. The Indianapolis Colts rank eighth in pass defense and 10th in points allowed.

Las Vegas is going to need more balance offensively if it's going to knock off the 8-4 Colts. And winning against them will be critical if the Raiders are to make the postseason.

There's a chance that a 10-win team will be left out of the AFC playoff bracket, and if the Raiders cannot beat Indianapolis, a 10-6 record is the best the team can hope to have.