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The Josh McDaniels/Dave Ziegler era in Las Vegas is over as the Raiders have fired the head coach and general manager, the team announced early Wednesday morning.
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Assistant general manager Champ Kelly has been promoted to the Raiders’ interim general manager role, and linebackers coach Antonio Pierce will be Las Vegas’ interim head coach, per a pair of team statements.
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Las Vegas Raiders @Raiders
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ESPN’s Adam Schefter also reported that the Raiders remain on the hook for the rest of McDaniels’ six-year deal.
Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter
Raiders gave Josh McDaniels a six-year contract in January 2022. He has over four full year left on the deal that the Raiders are obligated to pay. pic.twitter.com/aOjrl7AtX7
The firings come as little surprise with the Raiders struggling for the second straight season, posting a 3-5 record through eight weeks. The Raiders are also coming off a 26-14 loss to the Detroit Lions on Monday evening in which they were out-gained 486-157.
Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported on Oct. 14 that “there have been whispers around the league that Josh McDaniels could be in trouble if Las Vegas doesn’t start winning.”
Las Vegas won the next day against the New England Patriots (21-17) but then lost an ugly game to the two-win Chicago Bears, 30-12, the following week. The Lions loss dropped Las Vegas into a tie for last place in the AFC West alongside the Denver Broncos.
The Las Vegas offense, in particular, has been disappointing with Jimmy Garoppolo under center. The veteran has completed 68.0 percent of his passes for 1,205 yards and seven touchdowns against a league-high nine interceptions. He completed just 10-of-21 passes against Detroit and only one to superstar wideout Davante Adams.
While the Raiders’ passing offense has struggled, the ground game has been even more abysmal despite star running back Josh Jacobs’ decision to return to the team after being franchise-tagged.
Jacobs has rushed for just 408 yards on 133 carries through eight games, and the Raiders’ rushing offense ranks last in the NFL, averaging 70.0 yards per game on the ground (3.1 YPC).
McDaniels’ play-calling has also been questioned throughout the season. Most notably, during a Week 3 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, he was criticized for electing to kick a field goal on 4th-and-4 from the opposing eight-yard line with his team down eight points and 2:22 remaining in regulation.
The Raiders hired McDaniels ahead of the 2022 season as a replacement for interim leader Rich Bisaccia, who took over for fired head coach Jon Gruden during the 2021 campaign. McDaniels became the team’s fourth head coach since 2015, and he finishes his career in Las Vegas with a 9-16 record over a season-and-a-half.
With his firing, this marks McDaniels’ second failed stint as an NFL head coach. He served as head coach of the Denver Broncos from 2009 until he was fired after Week 13 of the 2010 season.
McDaniels went 11-17 in his two seasons with the Broncos and is now 20-33 in his four years as an NFL head coach.
Prior to being hired by the Raiders, McDaniels served as offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots under Bill Belichick from 2012-2021. He was also the team’s offensive coordinator from 2006-08 before he left for the Broncos’ head coaching job.
If the Patriots hadn’t hired Bill O’Brien to serve as their offensive coordinator ahead of the 2023 season, it would be reasonable to believe McDaniels would return to New England. If that option is truly off the table, it’s unclear what’s next for the 47-year-old.
As for Ziegler, the 46-year-old arrived in Las Vegas alongside McDaniels from New England. Ziegler has worked for the Broncos (2010-2012) and Patriots (2013-2021). He was the Pats’ director of player personnel in 2021 before taking the Raiders’ job.
The signing of Garoppolo to a three-year, $67.5 million contract last March ultimately stands out as the team’s biggest personnel miss since the McDaniels/Ziegler era began, and the Raiders haven’t scored more than 21 points in any of their eight games this season.
The offense itself hasn’t hit the 20-point mark in any of those contests, which puts the group in rare company, per Josh Dubow of the Associated Press.
Josh Dubow @JoshDubowAP
#Raiders are 1st team since 2009 to score less than 20 points on offense in each of the first 8 games. Washington and the Rams both did it in 2009 https://t.co/BHQom20o0h
Las Vegas’ defense has also largely struggled outside edge-rusher Maxx Crosby, who arrived in town before the McDaniels/Ziegler regime. Of note, Crosby (6.5 sacks) is the only player on the entire team with more than one sack.
Ultimately, owner Mark Davis felt the team needed a significant midseason change as the Raiders continued to flounder.
As far as the Raiders’ interim leadership goes, Kelly has been in the NFL since 2007. He worked for the Denver Broncos from 2007-2014, reaching the rank of assistant director of pro personnel. Kelly then left for the Chicago Bears in 2015 to be their director of pro scouting. He served as Chicago’s assistant director of player personnel from 2017-2021 before taking the Raiders’ assistant GM job in 2022.
Pierce played linebacker in the NFL from 2001-2009 for Washington and the New York Giants, winning a Super Bowl with the latter team in 2007. He led the 2007 Giants with 102 tackles.
The 45-year-old has been a coach since 2014. He was the head coach at Long Beach Poly High School (California) from 2014-2017. Pierce then joined Herm Edwards’ Arizona State staff in 2018 as a linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator.
He added associate head coach and co-defensive coordinator responsibilities in 2020 before becoming the sole DC in 2021. Pierce then left for Las Vegas to be the team’s linebackers coach in 2022.
Pierce will get his first crack at NFL head coaching on Sunday when the Raiders host his old team, the Giants, on Sunday afternoon.
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