Getty Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels.
The Las Vegas Raiders were able to break a three-game losing streak with a Week 5 win over the Green Bay Packers but that wasn’t enough to quiet concerns about head coach Josh McDaniels. Despite having a long and successful career as an offensive coordinator, the Raiders are the only team to not score 20 or more points in a game this season.
Now McDaniels’ playcalling has come into question. Former Philadelphia Eagles Pro Bowl quarterback Donovan McNabb took the Raiders coach to task for how he’s performed this season.
“Josh McDaniels, to me, is just not an NFL head coach,” McNabb said on the October 10 episode of “The Five Spot with Donovan McNabb.” “In that last three weeks, he’s been Brandon Staley B. His decision-making, his playcalling, the timing of his calling. And then, you have the leading rusher from last year in your backfield and you can’t seem to run the football all of a sudden this year.”
The Raiders have $101 million in salary cap space dedicated to the offense, per Spotrac. That’s the sixth-highest total in the NFL. McDaniels has the talent to put together a top offense but the group is struggling to score points. The defense has been playing well the past three games so if the offense can start figuring things out, the Raiders could have their most balanced team in years.
.@donovanjmcnabb: Josh McDaniels is NOT an NFL head coach
Things Could’ve Got Ugly if Las Vegas Raiders Went 1-4
The Raiders needed the win against the Packers on Monday, according to star defensive end Maxx Crosby. Otherwise, things could’ve gotten ugly.
“More is required,” Crosby said of himself on October 9 postgame media availability, via Vic Tafur of The Athletic. “I want to be the best in the league, and next week I have to be even better.
“We had to win this game. If we started out 1-4, things start getting real. I love the guys in this locker room and we’re trying to do everything right, and tonight was a testament to that.”
The Raiders don’t have one of the better rosters in the NFL but they do have some really good players, including Crosby who aren’t interested in a rebuild. Going 1-4 to start the season could’ve led to some big changes or major issues in the locker room.
Josh McDaniels Over New England Patriots Narrative
Josh McDaniels spent the vast majority of his career with the New England Patriots and is heading back to his former home in Week 6. The Raiders also played the Patriots last season and came away with a win.
Though McDaniels will always be closely linked to New England, he doesn’t have a lot of interest in talking about it anymore.
“I mean, we’ve kind of – the horse is dead,” McDaniels said during his October 10 media availability. “We’ve beat it enough. You know what I mean? I mean, it is what it is. So, every week you got and somebody used to play there or they know somebody on that staff or whatever it is. So, yeah, it’s Game 6 for us.
“We’ve got to do a good job of focusing on what we can do to improve from yesterday and get ready for a team that presents a lot of different challenges.”