Not only did the Las Vegas Raiders lose on Saturday, but they also lost the services of two of their star defensive players. With the playoffs now unlikely, it appears head coach Josh McDaniels might have to throw in the white towel. Well, at least as far as playing his duo of Chandler Jones and Denzel Perryman. Talk about a tough break for the besieged coach.
Following a tough loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, things went from bad to worse through the course of the game. While battling freezing temperatures, McDaniels had to witness both Jones and Perryman drop like flies during the contest. With two games left, it might be best to start planning for 2023. Shutting down both players does appear to be inevitable, as the coach addressed the media on Monday.
When asked about the duo’s status, McDaniels mentioned that further evaluation hadn’t been finalized yet. At the same time, the coach stated that, in his opinion, their availability has been severely hampered.
“No update other than they both, I’d say, incurred some injuries that could affect their ability to play again this year. We don’t have all the things we need in terms of imaging and those kinds of things. So, that’s all being done today, and we’ll have more information obviously after this afternoon.”
It’s a tough break for Josh McDaniels and the Las Vegas Raiders
While many fans feel that the season is indeed over, there’s still football to be played. Perryman has long been the heart of the Raiders’ defense, with a Pro Bowl under his belt after last year. However, Raider Nation is still puzzled by a cryptic social media post that the linebacker recently made. It’s even more interesting when you take into account the unknown status of Perryman in the long term.
Jones, on the other hand, was playing his best football as of late. After an underwhelming start to his first season with the Raiders, Jones turned up the heat after double-sack performances in Weeks 13 and 14. After improving his Pro Football Focus pass-rushing grade to 60.4 for the year, Jones’ season might be over.
*Top Photo: AP Photo/Rick Scuteri