Will Josh McDaniels and the Las Vegas Raiders rebound in 2023?
By Brad Weiss
Josh McDaniels did not make it through his second season in Denver, but with the Las Vegas Raiders, hopefully, the results can be different.
On Saturday, the Las Vegas Raiders played host to the Kansas City Chiefs, and for the first time since the loss to New Orleans, they were absolutely dominated. With Jarrett Stidham making his second NFL start after a tremendous effort against San Francisco the week before, many believed Las Vegas would hang with the Chiefs in Week 18.
From the outset, that clearly was not the case, as the offense mustered only two field goals through three quarters, and the Chiefs were scoring at will. For head coach Josh McDaniels the loss to the Chiefs ended the Raiders’ season with a 6-11 record and has many in the fan base wondering if the franchise made a mistake bringing him in.
Remember, McDaniels, got off to a strong start in Denver in his first stint as a head coach, only to falter through the rest of the year, and not even make it through Year 2. For the Silver and Black, the hope is that he can rebound in a big way in 2023, as another change at head coach would signal another failed experiment for Mark Davis.
Raiders roster to look much different heading into Year 2
Las Vegas has 26 free agents heading into next season, but a non-free agent is going to dominate the headlines for the franchise once the Super Bowl is over. The biggest question mark will come at quarterback with Derek Carr, as he has a full no-trade clause, and is definitely on his way out after being benched the final two games of the season.
It was clear McDaniels was done with Carr late in the season, and he will have the input on who the next signal-caller is. One name that has been thrown around is Tom Brady, who worked for many years with McDaniels in New England, and will be a free agent after the Super Bowl as well.
There is also the issue of the defense, which was once again one of the worst in football this past season. With an offense loaded with talent in terms of skill players, especially if Josh Jacobs returns, the offensive line needs to be upgraded as well, so there is more than a few holes to fill on this roster moving forward.
McDaniels did have some good moments down the stretch, and while he did take over a playoff team from the year before, he was installing a new system with personnel that likely will not be back in 2023. He will have a chance to prove himself, as Davis has stood by his side during this roller coaster of a season, and the hope for Raider Nation is that he can figure out this head coaching thing sooner than later.
If he doesn’t, the Silver and Black are in big trouble.