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Is it time for the Las Vegas Raiders to blow it up?

By Mario O. Tovar

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - AUGUST 26: Head coach Josh McDaniels (L) and owner and managing general partner Mark Davis of the Las Vegas Raiders talk before a preseason game against the New England Patriots at Allegiant Stadium on August 26, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Raiders defeated the Patriots 23-6. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - AUGUST 26: Head coach Josh McDaniels (L) and owner and managing general partner Mark Davis of the Las Vegas Raiders talk before a preseason game against the New England Patriots at Allegiant Stadium on August 26, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Raiders defeated the Patriots 23-6. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - OCTOBER 30: Head coach Josh McDaniels of the Las Vegas Raiders looks on before a game against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome on October 30, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – OCTOBER 30: Head coach Josh McDaniels of the Las Vegas Raiders looks on before a game against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome on October 30, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /

Is it now time for the Las Vegas Raiders to blow it up?

Maybe less is better for these Raiders?

One of the most highly debated topics among Raiders fans and the media is the complexity of McDaniels’ playbook. While no one is saying that the team isn’t smart enough to learn this new system, there have now been several players who have publicly mentioned the topic.

Most recently, you had tight end Darren Waller bring up the matter. No. 83, who was again inactive on Sunday, spoke to Heavy Sports earlier this week, giving some insight into all of this directly from a participant. More importantly, it fuels the question of whether McDaniels’ implementation of his philosophy is going to pay off or not.

"“Yeah, it’s definitely challenging. [It’s] taken time for a lot of people, and it will continue to take time. You really see guys flourish in like the third year of an offense but now you’re starting to see people really turn the corner because there’s so many little, small nuances, little, small adjustments and reactions that you need to have to whatever the defense does. It’s hard when you can’t do all those things perfectly and then right all the time, it takes time to really get those habits in the vernacular, things like that into your system. So, it’s going to continue to take time. Guys are going to continue to grow and get better at it. And that’s only going on to turn into a better offensive product in the field.”"

Waller made some solid points, but what stands out given the loss to the Jaguars is the remark regarding the “third year.” Looking at offenses around the NFL, some take more time than others to truly produce results. While Waller’s comment was more in the general sense prior to the game, you have to wonder if Raiders fans are expected to wait beyond this season for results on the field.

Just look at the emphasis that this regime places on the “big picture.”

Most of this roster was involved in the team reaching the playoffs last year. Thus far, that team has looked unrecognizable at times. The more apt descriptions would be “unprepared” and “flat.” The pieces are certainly there to be able to string some wins together, but it appears from the outside looking in that McDaniels is overthinking so many situations. No one is suggesting to “dumb down” anything, but at some point, you have to look at the coaching and just say, “This isn’t working for a full 60 minutes.”

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