Getty Josh McDaniels with Andy Reid.
Very few things have gone right for the Las Vegas Raiders through five games. The team is 1-4 and all of the losses have come by a combined 14 points, including a one-point loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 5. However, the Raiders didn’t need to suffer a one-point loss to the Chiefs.
The team scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter that made the score 30-29. Instead of kicking the extra point and getting the tie, the Raiders elected to go for two. The attempt failed when running back Josh Jacobs was stopped just inches short of the goal line. The team ended up losing by that one point, which fans were not happy about. Head coach Josh McDaniels was blasted by many fans after the game with some even calling for him to get fired.
Josh McDaniels doesn’t understand math
josh mcdaniels making a horrible decision
Josh McDaniels should be absolutely fired immediately. That’s was ridiculously stupid. You go for 2 when there’s like 30 seconds left not 4 minutes…
Josh McDaniels needs to be fired for that. There was no benefit for going for it there. This dude is not a head coach.
Had the Raiders converted, McDaniels would be praised for his courage against one of the best teams in the NFL. Unfortunately for the coach, the team failed and lost by a single point. McDaniels had a chance to explain the decision after the game.
“I felt like in that situation, [Kansas City] had a lot of momentum offensively, obviously in the second half,” McDaniels said. “We had a play that we felt really good about. I thought we would get a look that gave us a shot at it.”
Josh Jacobs Talks About Failed 2-Point Conversion
For his part, Jacobs was having one of the best games of his career against the Chiefs. He had a career-high 154 rushing yards in the loss so it’s easy to understand why McDaniels was confident in his running back’s ability to convert. Jacobs believes that there are things he could’ve done to get the points and has no problem with the coach’s call.
“That’s what we wanted,” Jacobs said Monday, via ESPN. “We knew we was going to be in that situation. It’s crazy, all week we were talking about third-and-ones, fourth-and-ones, two-point play.
“When I got the ball and the safety shot the hole, I knew it was going to be hairy. I really blame myself because I could have reached the ball over. I know we harp on not reaching the ball, but that was a situation where it wouldn’t have mattered if I did. So, I’ll just put that on my shoulders. I could have reached the ball over.”
Derek Carr Was in Support of Call
Playing the Chiefs is different than other teams. Their offense is so dynamic and can score at any moment. That played a big role in why the Raiders went for two. Quarterback Derek Carr was very supportive of the decision and was happy to be aggressive.
“I liked it, I like being aggressive, especially on the road, I’m all on board,” Carr said after the game. “When we scored, I was excited, but I was already telling people, ‘Hey, two!’ And then I looked at Josh [McDaniels], and he said it in my headset … from my view, I thought Josh [Jacobs] was in. I thought his knee stayed off the ground.
“I mean, we’re this close from being up 31-30,” Carr added.
The failed two-point conversion wasn’t the only reason the Raiders lost on Monday. There are many things they could’ve done to win the game but just didn’t.