A sliding doors moment for Vegas in 2023.
In no-way am I suggesting that a head coach, with a career record of 20-33 – including a 6-0 start with the Denver Broncos – was the solution to the troubles facing the Las Vegas Raiders.
However, would keeping Josh McDaniels until the end of the 2023 season have been a better long-term move?
Instead, they relieved the floundering coach of his duties on Halloween and handed over head coach responsibilities to Antonio Pierce.
The Raiders then went 5-4 down the stretch, which included a Christmas Day win over defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs.
So all arrows pointing up, right?
Performance improved, there was a better atmosphere around the team and key players like Maxx Crosby and Davante Adams put their support behind Pierce.
It was looking encouraging for the team coming out of the 2023 season.
Reality quite different
The second-half surge had knocked the Raiders out of prime position to find their franchise quarterback of the future.
They were instead dropped into the worst place you can be as a team – quarterback purgatory.
Las Vegas are now trying to rebuild a struggling team, with a coach who looks unqualified in the full-time role.
There is nothing resembling a run-game in order to support one of the worst quarterback situations in the NFL.
To top things off, one of the superstar players who wanted Pierce to be given the role – Davante Adams – has now been shipped out to play with his buddy in New York.
Were Mark Davis’ hands tied?
I do feel for ownership, burned previously by not hiring Rich Bissachia after his interim coach spell and a ground swell of support for the new interim coach.
Pierce was the only contender if they wanted to avoid a full revolt in the building.
But what has transpired in 2024 has shown the dangers of giving in to player power.
If the Raiders had endured McDaniels’ era a little longer, they would have been in position to draft a quarterback.
Be it Michael Penix, J.J. McCarthy or whoever they so deemed to be the future in Las Vegas.
They would have been doing so, with a more qualified head coach to aid his development, instead of someone hired off of ‘vibes’.
At-least they beat the Chiefs that one time and have a superstar tight end in the making…
