Allow me to prove the following thesis several times over: Josh McDaniels is as bad as it gets when it comes to NFL head coaches. Rode the coattails of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick to raging success, thinks he’s the brains behind that whole dynastic Patriots operation, goes elsewhere multiple times and couldn’t fail harder if he were trying.
I can’t blame McDaniels for whatever yardage his Las Vegas Raiders defense conceded to a Chicago Bears offense led by undrafted, Division II quarterback Tyson Bagent making his first NFL start. What I can blame him for is for putting his system into practice and being unable to keep up with said Bears offense.
You thought McDaniels hit new lows by blowing three 17-point leads last season? None of the following three beyond-embarrassing losses in the X post below include any of those.
The Raiders can’t lose to Baker Mayfield with 3 days of practice… right?
The Raiders can’t lose to Jeff Saturday…right?
The Raiders can’t lose to Tyson Bagent…. right?!?
— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) October 22, 2023
Why am I so up in arms and angry about Josh McDaniels? Where is this energy coming from? You might be wondering these things. It’s because the guy is so insular, closed-minded and driven purely by his ego that he’s incapable of evolving, developing any individual identity, and flat-out doesn’t achieve even satisfactory results.
Now what do I mean by that? I mean that McDaniels started a quarterback today in Brian Hoyer whom he spent many years with during his New England heyday. If Belichick didn’t sign Hoyer, or McDaniels didn’t bail him out with a backup job, Hoyer would be out of the f*cking league by now. Dude has zero business being a professional football player at this point in time.
Hoyer is a statuesque, inaccurate passer with marginal arm talent who’s also a terrible decision-maker and forces balls into windows he has no business throwing into. Sounds a lot like the ex-Pat QB McDaniels rolled with as his Week 1 starter, no? Jimmy Garoppolo. The oft-injured guy who’s — SHOCKING – injured again!!
The Las Vegas Raiders are the most unserious team in the NFL right now.
Throw out the records.
They started a 38-year-old QB who has thrown 1 TD pass in 4 years, their starting CB made a business decision in the 1st half, and they have a head coach whose worst losses in the…
— Moe Moton (@MoeMoton) October 22, 2023
Jimmy G and Brian Hoyer are both “system fit” QBs with Patriots ties, and that prior knowledge and “fit” hasn’t done much for them in terms of production.
Unless your name is Jakobi Meyers, I don’t want to hear about a past fit for Josh McDaniels’ system. https://t.co/GUitfdqfG0
— Moe Moton (@MoeMoton) October 22, 2023
It’s almost like if you, you know, decided to tweak your offensive system, play to whatever “strengths” Hoyer has or help out your personnel in any way, you might have some modicum of success. But nope. McDaniels continues to bang his head into the same schematic brick wall. You see the fruits of his Sisyphean labor. A 30-12 loss to the Tyson Bagent-lead 2023 Chicago Bears.
Brian Hoyer didn’t look Michael Mayer’s way, he was wide open on this intercepted pass. #RaiderNation | #LVvsCHI pic.twitter.com/QBR6Dn5cD8
— Mike Dixon (@MikeDixon_VST) October 22, 2023
JAYLON JOHNSON PICK 6! @ChicagoBears got 3️⃣0️⃣ on the board!
📺: #LVvsCHI on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/iTs8HMaXlh pic.twitter.com/jU27pr9BvN— NFL (@NFL) October 22, 2023
Brian Hoyer in his last 13 starts, all losses:
272-for-454 (59.9 percent) for 2,937 yards (229.9 pg), 11 TDs, 11 INTs, 3 fumbles lost, 76.95 passer rating. https://t.co/wOfv2LJBgZ
— Jimmy Durkin (@Jimmy_Durkin) October 22, 2023
Hey, ex-Patriots assistant and current Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham — you’re killing it at your job, by the way — let’s check in with you up in the coaching booth. We doing alright!?
Patrick Graham’s reaction after Brian Hoyer’s pick-6.
Hoyer finishes the day 17-32, 129 yards, and 2 INTs. (3) turnovers all by the Raiders’ QBs. #RaiderNation | #LVvsCHI pic.twitter.com/waUZDmFZXs
— Mike Dixon (@MikeDixon_VST) October 22, 2023
No? Yeah didn’t think so. Woof, fam.
NOW. How about we check in with the living-in-denial head coach of the Raiders for his postgame press conference, shall we!? What did he have to say about starting Hoyer (total nothing-burger move) over his somewhat promising rookie Aidan O’Connell.
"This isn't the preseason anymore."
-Josh McDaniels on not starting Aidan O'Connell#RaiderNation #Raiders pic.twitter.com/ivGuIK5i3C
— Logan Reever (@loganreever) October 22, 2023
This level of delusion and buffoonery is almost endearing in a way. Almost. I already featured this X post as part of the hilarious Hoyer stats from his run of 0-13 in the past 13 games he’s started. Nevertheless, McDaniels’ defiance is worth inhaling on its own a second time.
McDaniels wanted to go with veteran Hoyer in hopes of a “clean” game. Won’t second-guess himself and didn’t consider switching to O’Connell at halftime.
— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) October 22, 2023
It’s pretty funny that Josh McDaniels made his QBs Jimmy Garoppolo and Brian Hoyer, he simply refuses to acknowledge that any quarterbacks could be good unless they are Patriots backups he worked with a decade ago
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) October 22, 2023
Bro I’m just beside myself at this point. It’s so beyond pathetic and maddening. I’d be pushed to a state of delirious laughter if it didn’t trigger me into such a fit of internal rage. I gotta find a way to let this out in some sort of healthy way.
…Or, you know, Las Vegas Aces multiple-championship owner/Raiders owner Mark Davis could come to his senses and give all of us the sweetest of sweet catharses by firing Josh McDaniels. Just get this guy outta here already.
Davante Adams, Maxx Crosby, the other good Las Vegas players and Raiders fans most of all deserve so much better than this sham of a wannabe Belichick knockoff.
We’re over a year out from the launch of a Change.org campaign to fire Josh McDaniels. It began during last season on October 10, which happens to be World Mental Health Day.
I swear I’m not making that up. It’s too good to be made-up. I found it today while researching — to put it kindly — Dabo Swinney’s lack of nuance on mental health issues. Another dumb-as-rocks coaching personality. Another shocker, that.
Think I’ve made enough anti-Josh McDaniels points to have my fill for the season. I was angry at McDaniels last year for his treatment of Derek Carr, who’s struggling in his own right to acclimate to his new digs in New Orleans. But my ire toward McDaniels runs way deeper than any stanning for Derek Carr. It’s reached critical mass after this particular Sunday.
Come on, Mark Davis. Give the people what they want. It’ll cost you a pretty penny for a buyout. However, you can barely fathom how much goodwill you’ll build in Raider Nation and beyond if you make the call to can McDaniels’ hind.
