Raiders’ Michael Mayer finally gets chance to steamroll defenders

The excitement in Michael Mayer’s voice last week was a pretty good tip that something good was in store for the rookie tight end.

So it wasn’t surprising that Mayer was the featured target on the Raiders’ first offensive play Monday night against the Packers.

He dragged in motion across the line of scrimmage, then gestured slightly at the snap of the ball toward a Packers defender as if he was going to block him. In other words, pretty much exactly what he’s been doing all season as part of an NFL indoctrination that has included way more blocking than receiving.

Only this time, Mayer ran right past the surprised defender toward the flat, where quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo found him for a 20-yard gain.

Five weeks into the season, the former All-American from Notre Dame finally got a chance to show why the Raiders traded up to draft him in the second round. He also had a 19-yard reception in a 17-13 win over Green Bay.

“It felt good,” Mayer said Wednesday with a smile.

Once the ball was in his hands, Mayer did not disappoint. On his first reception, he carried one defender and bowled over another along the sideline.

“Feeling like myself again,” is how he described it.

It was just his second catch of the season and third time he had been targeted. But he was the obvious first read, making it clear the Raiders wanted to get him involved early.

That was also the case at the start of the Raiders’ second drive, when Mayer released off the line of scrimmage on a play-action pass and Garoppolo found him streaking across the middle of the field. He made a clean grab, then went into battering ram mode while dragging three tacklers on the 19-yard gain.

For anyone who watched Mayer during his three seasons at Notre Dame, it was a familiar sight. It’s also the version the Raiders have been eager to showcase.

“Run after catch, yards after contact,” coach Josh McDaniels said.

That it has taken a month into the season to tap into Mayer isn’t a surprise considering all that McDaniels asks from his tight ends and how much the Raiders have needed him to block. There are nuances and layers to the position that require honing and understanding.

“It’s not just run the line on the paper and you’re automatically wide open in the NFL,” McDaniels said. “There’s an element of understanding what you need to do to get yourself opportunities, and there’s a lot of other things that go along with that.”

It’s a process Mayer understands. But the more he learns and the more comfortable he feels, the more he wants to be the physical presence the Raiders need him to be.

“Whether I have the ball in my hands, trying to truck somebody or stiff arm somebody,” Mayer said. “Or if I’m trying to pancake somebody to the ground.”

McDaniels wants to take advantage of those traits.

“When you have a tight end or a big receiver or a big back that gets the ball in space, you make smaller men try to tackle you, and sometimes you can create even bigger plays,” he said.

Mayer is eager to be that player.

“I think that sets a tone for the offense,” he said. “That sends a message to the defense we’re playing and just our overall energy.”

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow@VinnyBonsignore on X.