Maybe Josh McDaniels and Tom Brady will reunite in Las Vegas.
Maybe Derek Carr’s benching is a precursor to at least one final journey for the previous Patriots offensive coordinator and quarterback within the desert.
But if Raiders proprietor Mark Davis is looking for sustainability, and if McDaniels has some runway to construct this the correct means, they shouldn’t be looking for a fast repair with a 46-year-old quarterback subsequent fall.
“None of us is happy with where we’re at,” McDaniels mentioned this week.
This is McDaniels’ second strive at proving that he can step out of Bill Belichick’s shadow and run his personal present.
It went south shortly in Denver with an 11-17 report earlier than being fired in the course of the 2010 season. It has been a disappointing 6-9 begin in Las Vegas.
But they’ve misplaced eight, one-score video games. Another Dave Ziegler draft or two ought to restock a roster that has some top-end expertise however little depth.
And McDaniels simply proved a 12 months in the past with Mac Jones in New England that he may also help draft and develop a productive younger QB on the rise.
Brady, for all of his greatness, is just not immortal, both.
His shortcomings have contributed to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ downturn this season. His 6.2 yards per try and 9.4 yards per catch are profession lows, down from 7.4 and 11.0 a season in the past, respectively.
Carr wasn’t the one motive the Raiders had been shedding, and this season’s model of Brady wouldn’t be a cure-all in Sin City.
Brady’s departure from New England in 2020 additionally was related partially to frustrations with McDaniels and the offense.
Not to say that signing with the Raiders would put Brady in two head-to-head division matchups with the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and the L.A. Chargers’ Justin Herbert.
That mentioned, in fact, it’s not even taking part in join the dots to examine Brady sporting the silver and black subsequent fall. One can virtually simply draw a straight line.
UFC president Dana White famously had labored out Brady and Rob Gronkowski coming to the Raiders again in 2020 earlier than White mentioned then-coach Jon Gruden pulled the deal (amid Brady’s years-long tampering/dalliance with the Miami Dolphins).
The greatest method to placate Raiders star receiver Davante Adams — who signed with Vegas as a result of to affix his school quarterback Carr — may be to herald an skilled quarterback who will feed him the ball now.
Brady lately mentioned on his Let’s Go! Podcast that the following time he retires it will likely be for good, however he’ll assume lengthy and onerous about this time after un-retiring shortly earlier this 12 months.
“I’m going to take my time whenever that time does come,” he mentioned.
And if McDaniels is on the new seat in 2023 and in want of a fast repair to win and maintain his job, then capturing the moon for Brady to squeeze yet another run out of the G.O.A.T. could be the logical transfer.
They’re nonetheless pals, too. Brady publicly referred to as McDaniels “a tremendous coach” when he bought the Raiders job.
It’s simply that benching Carr possible units the Raiders as much as lose their last two video games in opposition to the 49ers and Chiefs, end 6-11 and safe a prime 10 decide in April’s draft.
McDaniels has an opportunity to make this his personal, to rubber-stamp a program that’s McDaniels’ Raiders and never Patriots West.
No one is saying to tear this down and rebuild. But drafting a quarterback or going to get Jones out of New England in a commerce, for instance, would assist the present program whereas additionally maintaining a tally of the long run.
The Raiders benched Carr primarily attributable to “performance,” nonetheless, as one supply informed the Daily News — along with dodging an damage that may have value them $40.4 million if Carr had been unable to cross a bodily early this spring.
If quick efficiency and a fast repair is what Davis is looking for, and if McDaniels is below stress to win now or else, then Brady to Vegas makes all of the sense on the planet.
But that doesn’t imply it’s the correct factor for the franchise to do.
WILSON STILL A HUGE BRONCOS PROBLEM
The firing of Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett was inevitable however didn’t resolve Denver’s greatest downside: Russell Wilson’s subpar play and albatross contract. Broncos interim coach Jerry Rosburg will play out the string.
GM George Paton is a revered and tenured government who acknowledged to Broncos CEO Greg Penner and possession that a few of his huge current calls haven’t labored out.
Penner mentioned lately that Wilson “knows he can play better” and that “I understand [Paton’s] thought process” and can proceed to depend on Paton “heavily.” It will likely be a difficult head teaching emptiness to fill. Although Broncos receiver Jerry Jeudy defended Wilson publicly this week, the participant and individual have been a large disappointment.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
Coaches whose job safety appears bleak with two weeks to go: Cardinals’ Kliff Kingsbury and Texans’ Lovie Smith. Coaches who may want some late wins to really feel safer: Commanders’ Ron Rivera, Falcons’ Arthur Smith, Browns’ Kevin Stefanski.
Coach who has proven probably the most within the second half of the season: Panthers interim Steve Wilks.
Coach who surged late to make the playoffs and certain shield his job: Chargers’ Brandon Staley. And how deep a playoff run does Mike McCarthy must make to fulfill proprietor Jerry Jones? Stay tuned.
Sean Payton is among the huge names lurking on the teaching carousel, and if the Chargers’ job is just not opening, that narrows his record.
David Blough will begin at QB for the Cardinals on Sunday and turn into the sixty fourth totally different QB to start out a recreation by 17 weeks this season.
Per ESPN, that ties the non-strike-season report set in 2007. Only 11 groups have had just one beginning QB this season, and the Giants are certainly one of them with Daniel Jones.
Vikings tight finish T.J. Hockenson appeared to enter a fencing place briefly when he was flipped onto his head by Giants security Julian Love on a Christmas Eve catch. But Minnesota’s medical doctors allowed him to return to the sport after a concussion analysis, though the fencing place is meant to be a “no-go” concussion register video games.
This is a part of the NFL’s supposedly enhanced concussion protocols within the wake of the early-season mishandling of Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa’s concussions. The league and union didn’t reply to remark when requested by the News whether or not a evaluation of the Hockenson state of affairs was initiated or opened, although, whereas Tagovailoa’s newest concussion is once more being loudly reviewed (by the NFL) and investigated (by the union).
THEY SAID IT
“I wish I could’ve played better for him.” — Wilson on Hackett, who was fired earlier than the top of his first NFL season with a 4-11 report
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Source: www.bostonherald.com