One may have thought that the Week 7 loss to the Bears was as bad as it could get. On Monday night, the Las Vegas Raiders said, “Hold our beer.” This time, Josh McDaniels couldn’t save his himself. While the loss was humiliating, there were some things to be positive about. We’ll start with those positives as we get into this week’s knee-jerk reactions.
The Raiders defense showed out again…
At least one unit decided to step up this week. Don’t let the final score fool you; Las Vegas’ defense put up a herculean effort. Maxx Crosby and Co. forced three turnovers and made several stops inside the red zone. It didn’t matter how many times the Raiders offense stalled or turned the ball over; the defense picked up the slack over and over again.
This should have been a 40-point loss. It would have been so easy for everyone to pack it in. The Raiders’ defenders could have easily said, “If the offense isn’t trying, why should we?” However, they didn’t, and they played hard and played well until the end. Because of the loss, their performance will likely be forgotten, but it shouldn’t be.
The defense has been playing well for most of the season. Sadly, a lot of it has been overshadowed by the offense’s incompetence. It is such a shame, really. The Raiders finally have a serviceable defense, but now they can’t score.
A big reason for those offensive woes has been the play of Las Vegas’ new quarterback.
Why is Jimmy G still here?
Garoppolo is so bad. Watching him attempt to play the quarterback position is painful. Some of those throws literally hurt to watch. He has been so awful that one has to wonder why the Raiders haven’t benched him yet.
Josh McDaniels’ hand-picked signal caller is clearly not the answer. The main selling point for Garoppolo was that he was a perfect fit for the offense. Judging by the happy feet and errant throws, he doesn’t look very comfortable.
By now, we can conclude that Garoppolo is not going to lead the Raiders to the promised land. Heck, he might not even be able to get this team to eight wins. There’s no reason to keep sending him out there, especially with a rookie quarterback on the roster. Who knows if Aidan O’Connell is an upgrade? We might as well find out. In the best-case scenario, he plays well and gives Las Vegas the jolt they need for the second half of the season. Worse case, he is terrible, and the Raiders get a top-ten draft pick. Sticking with Garoppolo is a guarantee of mediocrity, both in terms of record and draft position.
Beyond that, benching Garoppolo would send a clear message to the rest of the team that there are standards that must be met. It would put everyone on notice. It is akin to benching the goalie in hockey. You don’t make the move because that one change will solve all your problems; you do it to make a point to the rest of the locker room. If not Garoppolo, someone needs to lose their job after these last two weeks.
That’s exactly what happened on Halloween night as Mark Davis announced the firings of both Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler.
Someone had to be fired, right?
The Raiders’ struggles go beyond the play on the field. The coaching staff and front office deserve plenty of blame. Two years ago, Las Vegas was a playoff team. Now, a return to the postseason feels like it could be years away. That shouldn’t be the case for a team with a handful of All-Pros on the roster. Someone needed to be held accountable.
It was time for Mark Davis to pull the plug on Dave Ziegler, since he was the mastermind behind this whole operation. This was the only way to move on from Josh McDaniels, since he and Ziegler were joined at the hip.
After one full year and an additional eight weeks of football, it’s time for a new era in the Raiders history books.
*Top Photo: Getty Images