Less than two years after moving from New England to Southern Nevada, the Raiders fired general manager Dave Ziegler and coach Josh McDaniels late on Tuesday night. Antonio Pierce, the linebackers’ coach, was named interim coach, while Champ Kelly, the deputy general manager, was elevated to the position of interim general manager.
As of this now, it is unknown who will take over for McDaniels as the offensive playcaller.
With the Raiders, McDaniels was only 9-16, including 3-5 this season. He and Ziegler oversaw some of the most humiliating defeats in the team’s history, such as:
blowing a 20-point lead to lose to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2 of the previous season—the biggest lead in franchise history.
losing in Week 10 of the previous season to the Indianapolis Colts, who were coached by Jeff Saturday, an interim coach who had never coached above the high school level. Out of the eight games he coached last year, Saturday’s victory was the only one.
Last December, the Los Angeles Rams and quarterback Baker Mayfield—who had only been a member of the team for two days—saw them blow a double-digit lead.
been shut out in Week 8 of the previous season in New Orleans after the starting offense was unable to cross the 50-yard line.
losing in Week 7 of this season to an undrafted Division II rookie quarterback in Tyson Bagent of the Chicago Bears who was making his first start.
A squad that finished 10-7 in 2021 and made it to the playoffs for just the second time since 2002 was taken over by McDaniels and Ziegler. McDaniels was supposed to be an offensive wizard, but the Raiders’ offense has collapsed this season. In terms of yards per game (268.3), rushing yards per game (70.0), and points scored per game (15.8), it is ranked No. 31 in the NFL’s overall offense.
