Getty Josh McDaniels (left) and Maxx Crosby of the Raiders, who were part of a team meeting on Thursday
In the annals of NFL history, big, vocal team gatherings meant for the airing of grievances happen fairly often. They almost never work. Hopefully, things go differently for the Raiders, though, who apparently held a team meeting to unload their frustrations and concerns amid their poor 3-4 start.
That was the report from NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero on Sunday as Vegas, coming off a distressing loss to the Bears in Week 7, get ready for Week 8. This was not a typical players-only team meeting for the Raiders, he noted, but was done under the eye of coach Josh McDaniels.
The Insiders on @NFLGameDay: The #Raiders held a passionate team meeting this week to clear the air; #AZCardinals QB Kyler Murray took some first-team reps this week; #Dolphins CB Jalen Ramsey is expected to debut for Miami today.
“Coach Josh McDaniels, I’m told, opened the floor at a team meeting on Thursday, allowing them to voice all the frustrations that have boiled over publicly during the team’s 3-4 start,” Pelissero reported. “Guys like Maxx Crosby, Davante Adams, Josh Jacobs all spoke up, but so did players from every area of the roster. And nothing, from personnel to scheme to culture to coaching was off limits.
“I’m told that the meeting was considered positive by a lot of players, it was cathartic, they got a lot of things off their chest. A chance to bond a little bit before a big game Monday night against the Lions.”
Raiders Davante Adams Spoke at Team Meeting
Frustration has been a common theme around the Raiders in recent weeks, especially coming from Davante Adams. He has had multiple complaints he has aired publicly about the Raiders before the team meeting.
Adams said in a press conference before Week 7 that he was frustrated by the lack of touches he was getting in the offense, despite the fact that he has posted 46 receptions in seven games, by far the most on the team.
This week, in an interview with NFL Network’s Rich Eisen, Adams admitted he was frustrated, too, with the fact that the Raiders got rid of his former college teammate, quarterback Derek Carr, after last season. The Raiders replaced him with Jimmy Garoppolo.
“I came here to play with Derek. I can’t say I would have been here if he wasn’t here,” Adams said on the Rich Eisen Show. “That kind of put the stamp on everything for me. It was a series of things that led to why I ended up being here and playing with my quarterback, who I had a lot of success with in college. That factored in heavily for me, so it definitely took a toll on me when he left.”
Raiders Schedule Toughening Up
The Detroit game could be the perfect time for the Raiders to have some catharsis. They’re 3-4, but their three wins have come against awful teams with a combined record of 7-16. Detroit is 5-2 and gives the Raiders an opportunity to show they can hang in with contenders.
That would be an especially good thing because their next five games are challenging, with only one sub-.500 team (the Giants, next week) on the docket. The Raiders have the Jets (4-3), Dolphins (6-2) and Chiefs (6-2) coming up before their Week 13 bye.
The Raiders had been on a two-game win streak before the puzzling loss to the Bears, in a 30-12 blowout. That moved them three games behind the Chiefs for first place in the AFC West. The Raiders still have a good crack at the playoffs, and are one game out of the wild card. They’ll have no chance, though, if they do not improve their effort.
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Raiders ‘Voice Frustration’ at Josh McDaniels Team Meeting: Report