Analysis: Josh McDaniels already has earned well-deserved ‘F’ in Year 1 as Raiders coach

Josh McDaniels hasn’t completed the first season of his latest stint as a head coach but it’s not too soon to already label it a failure.

Can it get better in Year 2 and beyond? That’s still to be determined, but it hasn’t appeared he learned much from his brief run as the Denver Broncos’ head coach in 2009 and 2010.

On Wednesday, McDaniels said the Raiders were benching quarterback Derek Carr for the final two games of the 2022 season.

The decision to sit Carr was reportedly made by Raiders owner Mark Davis, according to The San Francisco Chronicle. The Bee will take a closer look at Davis’ role at the end of the season.

Regardless, McDaniels screwed up this season well before last weekend’s crushing loss to the Steelers as the Raiders blew five double-digit leads and lost each of those games.

Fans were calling for the firing of McDaniels after an 0-3 start, but Davis wasn’t about to do that. He’s giving McDaniels time, but that could be another mistake as McDaniels is 17-26 in three seasons as a head coach.

Just like his stint with the Broncos

During his first season with the Broncos, the team started 6-0 behind Jay Cutler. The Broncos then lost eight of their next 10 games to finish 8-8 and fall short of a playoff berth following a 44-24 loss to the Chiefs.

That offseason, the Broncos sent Cutler to the Chicago Bears for Kyle Orton, the Bears’ first- and third-round selections, and a first-round pick in the 2010 NFL draft.

The Broncos drafted Tim Tebow in the first round (25th overall).

Trading away Cutler (who demanded to be shipped out) didn’t work out well for McDaniels as the Broncos started the 2010 season 3-9 before he was fired by the late owner Pat Bowlen following a 10-6 loss to the Chiefs.

Former Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who played for McDaniels in 2009, criticized him on the “Up & Adams” show with host Kay Adams in early November.

“Josh McDaniels is definitely not suited to be a head coach. Absolutely not,” Marshall told Adams. “ ... Because he doesn’t know how to lead people. You can have all the X’s and O’s in the world, but when you go into a losing locker room, the first thing you have to be able to do is get to the players’ minds and their hearts. And he’s not capable of doing that.”

It appears not much has changed, even though McDaniels insisted that he learned from his earlier stint with the Broncos.

So here Raider Nation and the franchise sit. Las Vegas is 6-9 and on the cusp of officially being eliminated from playoff contention with a loss or wins by the Dolphins or Jets.

Carr had success before McDaniels

Make no mistake: Before McDaniels arrived, Carr had proven to be a solid and at times spectacular quarterback under Dennis Allen, Tony Sporano, Jack Del Rio, Jon Gruden and Rich Bisaccia.

Prior to McDaniels arriving, Carr received MVP votes and was a three-time Pro Bowler. He averaged a 68% completion percentage in the previous four seasons.

This season? 60.8%. In the past four weeks, Carr’s percentage dipped below 55%.

Carr’s win-loss record wasn’t impressive, but plenty of blame could be placed on past Raiders defenses, which annually ranked low in practically every category.

Fans, however, don’t want to hear any of the excuses. It’s all about wins. Never mind Carr’s 27 fourth-quarter comebacks and 33 game-winning drives.

Before Carr, it was a carousel of quarterbacks for the Raiders that also translated into sub-.500 records.

Now, Carr is as good as gone and that could mean it’s time to fire up the QB merry-go-round again.

The offseason will be a roller coaster for the Raiders.

Thanks to McDaniels.