The Las Vegas Raiders find themselves at 0-3 under new head coach Josh McDaniels following Sunday’s narrow loss to the Tennessee Titans.
It’s the first time these Raiders have been 0-3 since 2018 and represents just the third time this organization has started a season with a three-game losing streak since 2014 when Dennis Allen was leading things in Northern California.
Vegas’ latest loss came against a previously winless Tennessee Titans team on the road Sunday afternoon. The Raiders found themselves down 24-10 at the half with Ryan Tannehill tearing apart its defense. The team scored 12 unanswered in the second half, but a failed two-point conversion late in the fourth quarter led to a narrow 24-22 loss.
Apparently, this did not sit well with Raiders owner Mark Davis. He reportedly held a lengthy closed-door meeting with Josh McDaniels following the loss. To be a fly on the wall for that one.
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Josh McDaniels already under fire with the Las Vegas Raiders
McDaniels and the Raiders entered this season with high expectations. Despite Vegas earning a playoff spot a season ago, the culture within the organization wasn’t great. Reports during the summer from Southern Nevada were positive about the direction of the team. Vegas also added a ton of big-name players, star wide receiver Davante Adams included.
Through three weeks, nothing is going according to plan for McDaniels and Co. With games coming up against the Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs ahead of a Week 6 bye, there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. Dating back to 1979, only six teams have earned a playoff spot after starting 0-3. For McDaniels, missing out on the postseason would be a disaster.
- Josh McDaniels coaching record: 11-20, zero playoff appearances
Seen as one of the top offensive minds in the game dating back to his days with the New England Patriots, McDaniels has yet to pan out as a head coach. In fact, he’s lost 12 of his past 15 games in that role dating back to 2010 with the Denver Broncos.
As for Sunday’s loss, it was the slow start that doomed Las Vegas. Tennessee tallied 248 first-half yards, scoring on each possession. That included touchdown drives of 75 yards, 75 yards and 69 yards, respectively. This just isn’t going to cut it. And Davis likely told McDaniels just that in their closed-door meeting.