This season, the Las Vegas Raiders have experienced a lot. Josh McDaniels’ second season got off to a poor start. With quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo just acquired, Las Vegas’ offense has declined. They were merely 3-5 going into Week 9, having struggled against the majority of their opponents. It makes sense that McDaniels was dismissed, and Garoppolo was benched.
Former LBs coach Antonio Pierce and Raiders backup Aidan O’Connell, respectively, took McDaniels and Garoppolo’s places. The Raiders entered their first game following the incident with fires ignited beneath them. It’s very amazing that they defeated the New York Giants 30-6 in the end. According to ProoFootballTalk, O’Connell delivered a positive post-game assessment of Pierce that ought to inspire supporters.
“He performed admirably,” O’Connell remarked of Pierce. It was a challenging circumstance, a brief week, and an unfavorable circumstance that he fully exploited. He is a man of strong convictions, and his talk exudes energy. Guys have faith in him, and the Raiders executed exceptionally well on all fronts—offensive, defensive, and special teams.
The most significant distinction between Pierce and McDaniels is that final statement in particular. The most concerning aspect of McDaniels’ background was his lackluster leadership ability. Despite his talent as an offensive coordinator, he has struggled to inspire others to follow his lead. He had a propensity to turn the locker room against him, which was evident when he was with the Raiders and the Broncos in the past.
With McDaniels gone, will the Raiders make a complete turn around this season? Very unlikely: given the difficulty of their upcoming schedule and the strength of the AFC, a Wild Card berth is unlikely. However, the team would greatly improve even if they could only manage seven victories this season.
