Raiders Owner Mark Davis Decides To 'Move Forward' Without Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler
Losing has consequences. Las Vegas Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler found that out Tuesday night when they were fired.
Raiders owner Mark Davis, unhappy about the Raiders 3-5 record, ineptitude on offense, and two-game losing skid, decided to move on from McDaniels and Ziegler.
The club owner apparently saw the frustration of this season boiling over in the locker room and shared the sentiment. And he saw no way to correct matters with McDaniels and Ziegler.
The Raiders announced the moves on social media.
Raiders Announce Josh McDaniels, Dave Ziegler Gone
The club's post on X includes a statement from Davis.
"After much thought about what the Raiders need to move forward, I have decided to part ways with Josh and Dave," Davis said. "I want to thank them both for their hard work and wish them and their families nothing but the best."
Linebackers coach Antonio Pierce is expected to be named the team's interim coach, according to ESPN. A source told OutKick the Raiders will conduct a full coaching search after the season.
The club also named Champ Kelly as its interim GM. Kelly is in his second season with Las Vegas as the assistant GM and previously with the Chicago Bears and Broncos in scouting and personnel.
McDaniel is the first NFL head coach to be fired this season. Ziegler is likewise the first general manager to be fired this season. Both came to the Raiders only two years ago from the New England Patriots.
CANTON, OH - AUGUST 04: Linebackers coach Antonio Pierce of the Las Vegas Raiders yells to players during the second half of the 2022 Pro Football Hall of Fame Game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on August 04, 2022 in Canton, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
Raiders Promote Antonio Pierce As Interim
McDaniels leaves after authoring a 9-16 record in Las Vegas. If that sounds like a record that does not merit a firing, understand the Raiders were a 10-win team that made the NFL playoffs the season before McDaniels arrived.
The Raiders hired McDaniels to take them to the next level. He's taken them in the opposite direction. McDaniels came to the club after he completed 10-year tenure as the offensive coordinator in New England, where he won three Super Bowls under head coach Bill Belichick.
McDaniels' time as an NFL head coach could be over. Permanently. That's because the Las Vegas stint was his second opportunity at the top football job in an organization. And he's now failed at both.
McDaniels was previously the head coach of the Denver Broncos in 2009-2010. He was fired there as well.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 18: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots and Head coach Josh McDaniels of the Las Vegas Raiders chat prior to an NFL football game between the Las Vegas Raiders and the New England Patriots at Allegiant Stadium on December 18, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
McDaniels Patriots Success Didn't Travel
The Raiders fired McDaniels in the middle of his second season with the Broncos as he has been with the Raiders.
Similar issues affected McDaniels in Vegas as in Denver. Like in Denver, McDaniels could not get the Las Vegas to produce consistently despite the presence of a solid quarterback.
Like in Denver, McDaniels deemed it necessary in Vegas to move on from an incumbent veteran quarterback. He did it with Jay Cutler in Denver; and he released Derek Carr from the Raiders this offseason.
And like in Denver, the moves simply didn't produce enough points or wins. This year the Raiders offense has failed to score more than 20 points in any of its games.
Oct 15, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) makes a pass against the New England Patriots in the first quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports
Raiders Under McDaniels Poor On Offense
The Raiders lost to the Detroit Lions, 26-14, on Monday Night Football. The nation was able to see that Jimmy Garoppolo, the quarterback both McDaniels and Ziegler hand picked, was wildly ineffective.
Garoppolo missed two potential touchdown passes to receiver Davante Adams, who was wide open down the field. Garoppolo also threw an interception and leads the NFL in that category with 9.
Garoppolo's status as the team's starter is in jeopardy now that the coach and GM who knew him during his Patriots days are gone. The club is said to like rookie Aidan O'Connell is a possible starter.
The inept offense is a direct reflection on McDaniels who is the play caller and defacto offensive coordinator.
The lack of offensive firepower boiled over on TV. Cameras caught Adams tossing his helmet and cursing at no one in particular along the sideline. McDaniels afterward said Adams was the final piece of the equation in that, like all receivers, he relies on good pass protection and good quarterback play.
That was a strange way, by the way, to dismiss arguably one of the most talented receivers in the NFL.