Whether Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels might’ve inadvertently (or purposefully) thrown a potshot at the team’s previous coaching staff is debatable. What’s not up for debate is the irony of said statement, especially with all of the blown leads by McDaniels’ team in 2022.
McDaniels touched on a couple of subjects while speaking with Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer this week. Among those topics was tightening things up, in particular when it comes to the two-minute drill. Let’s face it, unless you’ve been living on the moon, you already know about the blown leads last season. McDaniels’ squad ended up with a 6-11 record, a far cry from Raider Nation’s expectations. Even more depressing is the fact that five of those losses came after leading by double-digits in the second half. The team even set an NFL record. It’s not outside the realm of possibility that the Raiders could’ve at least won 10 games.
Let’s face it, Josh McDaniels and the Raiders blew it last year.
However, that’s neither here nor there. Closing out games is going to determine whether McDaniels’ team will be making any sort of jump in Year 2. It’s not rocket science. Still, that doesn’t mean it’s any easier. Closing out the show wasn’t a hallmark of the Raiders’ previous regime, either. Under Jon Gruden, the Silver and Black consistently collapsed, year after year. Obviously, we’ll never know what might’ve been in his last season before his “resignation.” While the reasons for Gruden’s and McDaniels’ struggles are different, at the end of the day, what matters is the end result.
As far as Josh McDaniels’ latest season goes, the team blew it, literally. That concept isn’t lost on him, and he emphasizes that to Breer. Making sure the Raiders are sharp and can close out games is an obvious priority.
“If you can get 11 guys who know what to expect, know the why, to me, now you’re playing ahead of the game. I always thought that that was one of the things that we had attempted to do [in New England] and we’re attempting to do here. I’m not speaking about anybody that came here before us. I don’t know what they did. I just know that close games in the NFL are won or lost. You can lose one just as quickly as you can win one in terms of making a bad decision or not making a play in the right scenario.”
Now, whether you like McDaniels or not, he’s at least aware of what needs to improve. In no acceptable scenario can the Raiders blow nearly as many leads again. Who knows? Maybe he’s onto something with all of this.
*Top Photo: Getty Images