Raiders owner Mark Davis backs coach Josh McDaniels after brutal 2-7 start: ‘I have no issues’
Mark Davis, despite his team’s brutal 2-7 start to the season, is still backing Las Vegas Raiders coach Josh McDaniels.
Davis stood fully behind McDaniels after the Raiders’ 25-20 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday afternoon, which may be McDaniels’ worst in his coaching career. It was so bad that it left quarterback Derek Carr in tears.
But the Raiders team owner isn’t thinking of making a coaching change anytime soon.
“As far as Josh goes, I have no issues,” Davis said Monday, via the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I’m getting to know him a lot better.
“When you sign someone to a contract, don’t you expect him to fulfill the contract? … I like Josh. I think he’s doing a fantastic job. That’s why I hired him. We did an exhaustive search and found the person we believe is going to bring the Raiders to greatness.”
The Raiders looked bad against the Colts, who have plenty of issues themselves. For starters, Indianapolis is led by interim coach and former ESPN analyst Jeff Saturday, a man who has never coached in the NFL before. The Raiders gave up 415 yards of offense and committed 10 penalties in what was their third straight loss.
It’s no wonder Carr — who went 24-of-38 for 248 yards and threw two touchdowns in the loss — was so upset.
Derek Carr was emotional in his press conference following the Raiders' loss to the Colts.pic.twitter.com/Sii6ujKX2C
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) November 14, 2022
“I’m sorry for being emotional,” he said. “I’m just pissed off. Some of the things that a lot of us try to do just to practice, what we put our bodies through just to sleep at night, and for that to be the result of all that effort? It pisses me off. It pisses a lot of guys off. It’s hard knowing what some guys are doing, like I said, just to practice, what they’re putting in their body just to sleep at night. Like, just so we can be there for each other. And I wish everybody in that room felt the same way about this place. And as a leader that pisses me off, if I’m being honest.”
Though McDaniels is just nine games into his tenure with the Raiders, calls for his job grew significantly louder after Sunday. The 46-year-old is just 13-24 as a head coach in the NFL, including a two-year stint with the Denver Broncos. He's yet to put together a winning season.
He’s in the first year of a four-year contract, however, something Davis seems eager to at least have him complete.
“Life isn’t static. It’s fluid,” Davis said, via the Review-Journal. “You want to win at the end of the year and be the one holding the trophy. Obviously, we’re not there yet. I know it’s frustrating for the fan base. I feel for them. I’m a fan as well.”
Davis still insists that he believes McDaniels is the person who can get the Raiders there, too.
“Why wouldn’t I?” he replied.
