NFL head coach no. 1: Josh McDaniels, Las Vegas Raiders
The Josh McDaniels era is unlikely to end after a mere two seasons as the head coach of the Raiders. McDaniels however is no stranger to losing a head coaching position in two seasons, as he did with the Denver Broncos. McDaniels coached the Broncos for two seasons producing a record of 12-20 before being terminated. McDaniels made some similar choices in Denver that we are currently seeing in Las Vegas.
The “Patriot Way” of winning has done just the opposite in Las Vegas. The Raiders have made the news since McDaniels arrival for all the wrong reasons.
Let’s look at some bullet points that have come with the arrival of McDaniels;
- 6-11 record in 2022 after a 2021 season where they made the playoffs
- Four double-digit blown leads resulting losses
- Releasing Derek Carr (franchise record-holder quarterback) yielding no trade value
- Replacing Derek Carr with a less capable quarterback in Jimmy Garoppolo
- Signing Garoppolo to a three-year deal knowing he is injured
- Trading away Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller for a 3rd round pick
- Trading for All-Pro receiver Davante Adams only to pair him with Garoppolo after releasing his best friend, Derek Carr
One could argue that McDaniels was not alone in some of these decisions and that general manager Dave Ziegler has become culpable in this situation. The fact of the matter is the Raiders look even further from the postseason than they did after their brief 2021 appearance with interim head coach Rich Bisaccia.
Are we seeing any similar comparisons here? In Denver McDaniels attempted to trade for yes, Patriots* quarterback Matt Cassell, which upset current Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler which ended in his trade to the Bears. McDaniels also quarreled with the Broncos’ best receiver, Brandon Marshall, and those issues led to Marshall’s trade to the Miami Dolphins. The similarities between the Cutler/Marshall and Carr/Adams situations are hard to ignore.
The defense is still being rebuilt, the offense is without an elite or even top-10 quarterback to lead them, and the fan base is growing incredibly frustrated with the direction the team is going in. Everyone wants their team to win and despite their feelings towards the New England Patriots franchise are willing to win by any means necessary.
But McDaniels installing all of his former Patriots players only to isolate the current Raiders (Maxx Crosby, Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow) and not lead to more winning is a surefire recipe for disaster.
The time frame for success in this league is small and Adams and Crosby specifically are not getting any younger. Players of that caliber deserve to be on a team capable of winning a championship. The time frame for that kind of victory in Las Vegas seems impossible to calculate. The 2023 season is going to be an uphill battle for the Raiders as the rest of the AFC West (Chargers, Chiefs, Broncos) seemingly improved while the Raiders went backward.
If the Raiders win only 3-5 games in 2023 (which is possible) the owner of the team, Mark Davis, and his new co-owner Tom Brady may have to make a difficult decision regarding who will lead the team out of this black hole.
There you have it. Last year two of the three coaches we predicted could be fired did in fact lose their jobs. Let’s see how these five fare as the 2023 season kicks off in September.
5.) Robert Saleh – Jets
4.) Todd Bowles – Buccaneers
3.) Brandon Staley – Chargers
2.) Mike McCarthy – Cowboys
1.) Josh McDaniels – Raiders