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The Las Vegas Raiders cleaned house merely hours after deciding not to trade away valuable pieces at the 2023 NFL Trade Deadline. Owner Mark Davis gave the boot to head coach Josh McDaniels, offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi, and general manager Dave Ziegler. Jimmy Garoppolo's time as a starting quarterback is now finished as well. That was all a pretty clear indication that the Raiders want to hit the reset button and enter a rebuild.
So, it was strange that the franchise opted not to trade offensive stars Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams, who clearly aren't interested in sticking around for a rebuild in Las Vegas. Nonetheless, Josh McDaniels was once a highly successful offensive coordinator. His two head coaching stints, first with the Denver Broncos and now with the Raiders, haven't panned out, but there are still teams that could benefit from his offensive expertise.
Some guys understand the Xs and Os of football at an elite level. Some guys understand how to lead and motivate a group of men. The ones that can do both make great head coaches. McDaniels' history shows he is only the former. But that doesn't mean he doesn't have value in NFL coaching circles. So, who are the teams that could use McDaniels' brilliant offensive mind?
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys inexplicably fired offensive coordinator Kellen Moore this past offseason. Apparently, having the leading scoring offense in the entire NFL in 2021, and the fourth-ranked scoring offense in 2022 wasn't enough for Dallas. Instead, they fired Moore, who is one of the best young offensive minds in football and is on track to get a head-coaching job very soon. Instead, they turned play-calling duties over to Mike McCarthy.
I get it, Mike McCarthy is a “Super Bowl winning head coach.” But that was 13 years ago, in an entirely different NFL. That was with Aaron Rodgers, not with Dak Prescott. The Cowboys have an elite roster with playmakers on both sides. The defense has held up in consecutive early postseason exits.
Prescott and the offense need help and creativity when it comes to postseason football. Josh McDaniels is a guy who can make that happen for the Dallas Cowboys.
Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen came into the NFL as a raw talent. He also arrived in Buffalo for Brian Daboll's first season as the Bills' offensive coordinator. Many believe Daboll is responsible for Allen's development into an elite quarterback. Allen's best statistical seasons were 2020 and 2021, Daboll's last two seasons in Buffalo.
After Daboll's departure, Allen has arguably regressed as a quarterback. Specifically, he's become much more turnover prone. He has reverted back to a careless, gunslinger play style that's so common among quarterbacks with so much raw talent. Since Daboll's departure, Allen has thrown 25 interceptions and fumbled 19 times, over roughly a year and a half. The point is Allen needs an offensive coordinator who can coach those mistakes out of his game.
Sean McDermott is a fine head coach. He has done a great job of elevating the Bills to the level they are at. But he's also a defensive guy. If McDermott is running the ship, he needs a reliable First Mate to run the offense. That guy can be Josh McDaniels.
Why Josh McDaniels still deserves credit
As disastrous as his tenure with the Raiders was, all of the fault should not fall on Josh McDaniels. The Raiders have proven time and again that they are a wildly dysfunctional organization. The team's decision to part ways with franchise quarterback Derek Carr towards the end of McDaniels' first season with the team definitely came from the higher-ups. Then, Las Vegas signed a significantly worse quarterback to a high-dollar, long-term deal.
Now McDaniels didn't make much with the hand dealt to him, but his resume as an offensive coordinator speaks for itself. As a member of Bill Belichick's staff with the New England Patriots, McDaniels contributed to six Super Bowl victories. He was the offensive coordinator for three of them. He also called plays during the Patriots' near-undefeated run in 2007, culminating in a Super Bowl loss to the New York Giants.
The old adage “defense win championships” is no longer the blueprint in the NFL. Teams are winning championships with elite quarterbacks and elite offensive head coaches or coordinators.
Dak Prescott is a very good quarterback, and Josh Allen is bordering on great. But to be great, to be elite, they need a guy on the headset elevating their level of play. Seeing what they can't see from the pocket. It doesn't have to be McDaniels, but he's as good as any offensive coordinator available right now.
