This has been a tumultuous week for the Las Vegas Raiders. They were beaten on Monday night by the Detroit Lions, and the game was not as close as the 26-14 score would indicate. One of the Raiders touchdowns came on a 75-yard interception return by cornerback Marcus Petersn, but the Las Vegas offensive display was pitiful.

Owner Mark Davis was unhappy with the team's performance in the nationally televised game and he was also upset by the team's lack of progress under head coach Josh McDaniels. The Raiders were a 6-11 team in 2022 and much better things were expected in 2023. However, after losing back-to-back road games to the Chicago Bears and Lions, Davis decided he had seen enough.

Head coach sent packing

He fired McDaniels midway through his second year as the head coach of the Silver and Black, and Davis also dismissed general manager Dave Ziegler. Linebackers coach Antonio Pierce was inserted as the Raiders interim head coach, and he immediately decided to bench QB1 Jimmy Garoppolo and insert rookie Aidan O'Connell as the team's starting quarterback for the Week 9 game at home against the New York Giants.

O'Connell a 4th-round draft choice from Purdue, has the stature at 6-3 and 210 pounds to stand in the pocket and sling it all over the field. Garoppolo appeared tentative in the pocket, and that was not a surprise given his injury history.

Pierce will not expect the rookie quarterback to work miracles, but he does expect him to play with enthusiasm and maximum effort that will likely be contagious to the rest of the team.

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The Raiders need two of their superstars, defensive end Maxx Crosby and wide receiver Davante Adams, to deliver big plays.

Expect ace Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby to deliver at least 2 sacks

Crosby is one of the most dangerous pass rushers in the league. He has the speed to beat opposing offensive tackles by going around them, the power to beat them with his bull rush and the moves to slip blocks and cause havoc in the backfield.

Crosby has 48 tackles, a team-leading 6.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 1 pass defensed, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. He should have a big day against a New York Giants offensive line that has been one of the worst in the league to this point in the year.

The Giants offense was actually performing somewhat better when Tyrod Taylor was lined up at quarterback in place of Daniel Jones. However, Taylor is now on the IR list and Jones will return for this game.

Crosby and the rest of the Raiders defensive players are likely to be licking their chops as they get after Jones.

Davante Adams ends his frustration with 100-plus receiving yards and a TD reception

One of the lasting images of the Raiders' Week 8 loss to the Lions was an angry Adams on the sideline showing his frustration because he was not getting the ball.

While many diva-type receivers will show their anger when they can't add to their reception totals, Adams' frustration seemingly had more to do with the poor performance of the offense as a whole.

Adams had just 1 reception for 11 yards against the Lions, and Garoppolo missed him on several opportunities, including a deep shot that could have turned into an easy touchdown because the receiver was wide open.

The former Packer has caught 47 passes for 539 yards and 3 touchdowns this season.

Adams can take advantage of a weak spot in the Giants secondary if he can get matched up with defensive back Adoree Jackson. This former first-round draft choice struggles badly in coverage and Adams could easily get the best of him.

If the Raiders offensive line can protect O'Connell, look for the rookie quarterback to get the ball to Adams throughout the game. Adams will catch at least 6 passes and go over the 100-yard mark.

Raiders get back on track, play with effort and beat Giants

While Pierce has never been a head coach before, he is one of the most enthusiastic assistant coaches in the NFL. That's not a surprise, because he had that kind of reputation when he was a linebacker with the New York Giants during his playing career.

The point is that the one thing he can demand of his players is that they hit the field with maximum effort. If the Raiders follow the lead of their new head coach, it should be enough to get them the victory over a disappointing Giants team.