In his first NFL game, wide receiver Marcell Ateman showed the Raiders something special.
The seventh-round draft choice, promoted last week from the practice squad, had a big day in Oakland’s 23-21 comeback victory over the Cardinals in Arizona.
Pressed into service because of injuries to Jordy Nelson and Martavis Bryant, the trade of Amari Cooper and an injury to Brandon LaFell earlier Sunday, Ateman got more opportunities than expected, and made the most of them, catching four passes from Derek Carr for 50 yards.
Two of those catches came on the Raiders’ final drive, which set up the game-winning field goal by Daniel Carlson. Ateman pulled in a 9-yard reception to start the drive and then made a nice over-the-shoulder reception for 32 yards to get the team close to field-goal range. When Seth Roberts followed with a 20-yard catch-and-run gain, the Raiders were in business.
“Ateman set us up for victory,” said head coach Jon Gruden. “He went up and made a big play.”
Nelson is expected to return soon, but even when he does, it seems likely Ateman will stay on the roster. The 6-foot-4 former Oklahoma State standout had big numbers as a senior in 2017, with 59 receptions for 1,156 yards – a whopping 19.6-yard average – and eight touchdowns. So, he’s shown he can be a playmaker.
In his first game catching passes from Carr, he looked as if he could be a valuable piece of the offense for the remainder of this season. With a good final six games, he could earn a spot in the team’s plans for 2019, as well.
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“Ateman, gosh, we needed somebody to make a play,” said Gruden, of the receiver’s late catches. “We lost Brandon LaFell to an Achilles’ injury and Martavis and Jordy and we’re shorthanded. Somebody had to step up, we had a long way to go and that was the signature play of his career (the 32-yard catch). That helped us win a football game. I’m happy for him.”
The Raiders, 2-8, will travel to Baltimore this week to take on the 5-5 Ravens Sunday. Kickoff is set for 10 a.m.
