After their humiliating loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Las Vegas Raiders couldn’t sink any lower, right? Well, they did. Jeff Saturday’s Indianapolis Colts defeated the Raiders by a score of 25-20. This is the lowest point for the Raiders’ season, as they lost to an interim head coach, whose only prior coaching experience was in high school football. Let’s analyze three conclusions we can draw now following that embarrassing defeat.
Raiders HCÂ Josh McDaniels is the worst coach in the NFL
Josh McDaniels is the worst head coach in the NFL, and this may not be me overreacting. McDaniels has had some ugly losses, as he has blown three 17-point leads, was shut out by a struggling New Orleans Saints team, and now lost to a bad Colts team. What a resume for the leader of the Raiders, McDaniels, who is currently 13–24 as a head coach. The second overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft belongs to the 2-7 Raiders. Only the rebuilding Houston Texans are worse than them. Given the Raiders’ high expectations and McDaniels’ coaching shortcomings, it is not unreasonable to call him the worst head coach in the NFL.
“The Carr” has run out of gas
The Raiders’ seventh loss of the season led to an emotional press conference from Derek Carr. You have to feel bad for Carr because the Raiders haven’t helped him properly over the course of his time with the franchise, but Carr is also a contributing factor to the failures. Personally speaking, the ship has sailed, and he isn’t the answer after nine seasons as the starting quarterback. A winning percentage under 50 percent demonstrates the need for a new beginning for both Carr and the Raiders.
Carr is a good guy, but his play doesn’t back up his “good guy” persona. He has lapses where he folds under pressure and stalls a drive. But then he’ll step up in the pocket to avoid pressure to make a play. With this type of inconsistent play from a veteran player, a new voice is needed in the Raiders locker room.
There are only a few players who play for the jerseyÂ
Carr notes in his tearful post-game press conference that he is unhappy with the way some players train and perform. He is correct in that not many Raider players wear the jersey when they play. You see it on film, there’s no effort. The exceptions are Davante Adams, Josh Jacobs, and Maxx Crosby. These three players always give it their all, regardless of the result. They set an excellent example and are among the few players who give 100 percent on every play. The Raiders would likely hold the first overall pick in the draft if not for these guys. The rest of the group needs to look at itself and make changes to match what Jacobs, Crosby, and Adams are doing.