Amid all of the losses this season, we’re starting to notice that Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels is lately sounding more like his quarterback Derek Carr. What exactly do we mean? We’re referring to the same pattern of putting the blame on themselves, a tune that Raider Nation is all too familiar with.
“Put it all on me”
Do Raiders fans recall Carr saying these words back in 2017? The Silver and Black were doing a lot of losing back then, a lot like they have been this year. Carr’s tone and reaction to the Raiders’ consistent struggles since then (2017) have usually been similar. No. 4 has always taken the majority of the shots and received the brunt of the criticism. This year, it is McDaniels who is facing a barrage of venomous backlash.
Carr’s speech worked once, but a large section of Raider Nation quickly grew tired. Earlier this season, as the Raiders found themselves in another downward spiral, Carr finally broke down. After nine years of organizational ineptitude, he finally broke down in tears, using phrases like “pissed off.” As for McDaniels, his postgame remarks and speeches are becoming the same refurbished garbage. How many times will Raiders fans be subjected to the same rhetoric of not “knowing how to close games” or “trusting the process?”
“The reality is we let an opportunity go, and I’m responsible for that. So, if they want to point a finger, point it at me.”
Josh McDaniels wants all the criticism directed at him, not the players.
Well, McDaniels doesn’t have to worry too much. Just a few minutes online, and you can see that McDaniels is under fire. It’s just an interesting notion that McDaniels is sounding more and more like Carr these days: the same regurgitated hoopla with little to no results on the field. The only results or “progress” that Raider Nation is seeing are frequent collapses and games marred by horrid in-game management.
At some point, maybe, we’ll hear McDaniels call out his players for a lack of execution. Carr was never one to do that; the closest he’s ever come to doing so was earlier this season. Things are just getting worse for McDaniels by the week.
*Top Photo: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports