Following Jon Gruden’s resignation, Rich Bisaccia took over, but he now finds himself in Chicago. As for the Las Vegas Raiders, their owner has made his move and found both their new head coach and general manager.
News has recently broken that Mark Davis and the Raiders’ front office have hired New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. The reactions from the Silver and Black faithful have definitely been leaning in the negative column and for several reasons.
The History
The Raiders and the Patriots have had a checkered past for decades, specifically originating back to the infamous “Tuck Rule.“Â We all know the story; what should have been a strip sack of quarterback Tom Brady turned into an unpopular (and incorrect) ruling in favor of the Patriots that led to the Raiders losing and ultimately missing out on a trip to the AFC Championship game. And, of course, that was McDaniels’ first year with the Patriots as a personnel coordinator. Since that faithful game in 2002, the Raiders have performed poorly against the Patriots, with a record of 1-6.
The Patriots, specifically Brady and their semi-consistent coaching staff, have owned the Raiders for many years, and it has become a serious point of contention. Add the constant sting of the “Tuck Rule” game to that equation, and it makes sense that fans of the Raiders have ill feelings towards that franchise.
Recapping McDaniels’ Time In The NFL
McDaniels won three Super Bowls with the Patriots as their offensive play caller before moving on to his own head coaching gig with the Denver Broncos. McDaniels lasted two seasons, going 8-8 in the first year in 2009 and 3-9 the following year, when McDaniels was fired before the conclusion of the regular season. While that poor performance worked out for the Raiders, who benefited from the issues in Denver, fans are not excited that McDaniels’ only time as a head coach ended with an 11-17 record and no playoff appearances. The Raiders of today just barely squeaked into the playoffs, but still ended the five-year drought and are not looking to take a step back out of the spotlight.
The losing record aside, McDaniels was also involved in a videotaping scandal where McDaniels’ Director of Video Operations filmed the San Francisco 49ers’ walkthrough at Wembley Stadium in England. McDaniels apparently did not view the tape but did not immediately report it to the league either, which resulted in a fine and the obvious stigma of being associated with cheating.
The Colts
It’s not the biggest scandal in the history of the NFL, but McDaniels did not help his reputation in 2018 when he was hired as the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. Even casual fans know that the appointment of the head coach of any billion-dollar franchise within the NFL is a big deal, and the entire future of the season depends on the actions of the newly appointed coach.
McDaniels made his own announcement on the day the Colts announced his hiring, stating that he would not be taking the job and would remain with the Patriots. Many speculated that McDaniels believed he would be the successor to Bill Belichick when he stepped down, but the insult stuck with the Colts, and McDaniels added to his stigma of being “wishy-washy” and not trustworthy. After his change of heart, McDaniels’ agent terminated his contract with him, citing that McDaniels had committed “professional suicide.” The damage, however, was done, and the Colts were both embarrassed and scrambling for a replacement.
The Staff That’s Coming With Him
With McDaniels now coming to Vegas, he won’t be coming alone. McDaniels plans to bring along the Patriots’ director of player personnel, Dave Zeigler. Ziegler, who was also announced as the new general manager, has been a long-rumored replacement for the fired Mike Mayock.
Fans and analysts discussed a number of potential candidates, with many becoming more excited about the possibility of Colts (ironic, I know) assistant general manager Ed Dodds filling the position. Dodds has a unique and almost refreshingly brash personality with a “this isn’t good enough” attitude that won’t be quelled short of a Super Bowl win. That excitement has plummeted with the announcement of Zeigler’s coming in as a package deal. The Patriots have a unique way of building their rosters and are not known for handing out large contracts, even for star players. But Zeigler isn’t even the most startling name that could be coming with McDaniels; there have been rumors of McDaniels bringing in the former head coach of the Houston Texans (and former Patriots assistant) Bill O’Brien.
Bill O’ Brien?
Raiders fans have wanted a change at the offensive coordinator position, but O’Brien is not the name many are expecting or thrilled about. O’Brien made it to the playoffs during the majority of his time in Texas, but he found a way to never make it far with unusual time management, play calling, and overall decision making. He eventually took on the general manager role as well as the head coach role and gained notoriety for trading away star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals with a fourth-round pick in exchange for a second and fourth round pick and a declining running back in David Johnson. O’Brien was fired after an 0-4 start to the 2020 season, and the franchise has not recovered since. If O’Brien is part of the McDaniels deal, Raiders fans are clearly not interested.
There have even been rumors lately that McDaniels would be bringing in a new defensive coordinator and that Gus Bradley, who transformed the Raiders’ defense into a competent unit, would be shown the door. The Patriots mainly ran a 3-4 defensive scheme, which would be new for Maxx Crosby and others. Don’t break it if it doesn’t need fixing.
The Patriot Way
It can’t be argued that the Patriots have had an incredibly successful history that the Raiders have not been able to come close to replicating. The debate over the years has always landed on who should take credit for that success; quarterback Tom Brady or head coach Bill Belichick? The answer has never been Josh McDaniels, nor has the debate centered around him.
The Patriots’ offensive scheme (the Erhardt-Perkins scheme) focuses on a smash-mouth running game, soaking up time of possession and a quick-tempo no-huddle offense. While this could fit in well with the way Derek Carr operated in 2021, analysts and fans are looking for something different in the Las Vegas offense. A vertical passing game, a high-scoring and go-for “the quick strike” Al Davis type offense, is something the team has been missing for years, continuously ranking as one of the worst red zone offenses in the league. McDaniels knows how to find the end zone, but if fans are hopeful for a Buccaneers/Rams/Chiefs type offense, they will be disappointed.
Feed The Fans
The choice of head coach should not be directed by the fans, but it’s clear that many were hopeful for a Jim Harbaugh return or an up-and-coming offensive guru from the Sean McVay or Bruce Arians camps. We have seen younger, offensive-minded coaches thrive in the NFL, and it appears that Davis is not interested in following that model. McDaniels’ name has not come up as a head coaching candidate since the incident with the Colts, and now his sudden re-appearance has blindsided fans of the Silver and Black.
Davis’s decision has been met with heavy criticism, but there is one way to silence all the critics in the NFL: win.
As the great Al Davis said, “The only thing that matters is winning. You have to win.” Regardless of your feelings about McDaniels, winning is the cure to all ailments in professional sports, and if he can, he will stay. If not, his tenure will be added to another name on a disaster list of head coaching selections by the Raiders. They have to hit on one soon or it will be another rebuild on top of a series of rebuilds.
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*Top Photo: Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images