Raiders vs Giants 2023 Week 9: Things we learned
By Brad Weiss
Sunday brought an exciting time for the Las Vegas Raiders franchise, as they finally turned the page on head coach Josh McDaniels. Since taking over a playoff team from the 2021 NFL season, McDaniels has shown himself to be an incapable head coach, so while he has had success as an offensive coordinator, it certainly did not translate to success in the big role.
McDaniels was shown the door alongside general manager Dave Ziegler and offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi, a clean sweep in terms of leadership, especially on offense. Antonio Pierce was named interim head coach after the Halloween night firing, and from the second he took the job, the Raiders seem to be in a better place.
The locker room has been happier, and on Sunday, the play on the field was the best we have seen since the 2021 NFL season. Las Vegas jumped all over the New York Giants in Pierce's head coaching debut, scoring 24 points before halftime in a dominant effort that finished with a 30-6 victory for the Silver and Black.
Going into next week's matchup with the New York Jets, you have to think the feelings around this team have changed a bit. The Raiders have always had the elite talent on both sides of the ball on this roster, but now, it appears they have a head coach they want to play for, and the proof was in the pudding on Sunday.
Here are three things we learned from the victory in Week 9.