The calls from disgruntled Raiders fans for the franchise to part with head coach Josh McDaniels came to a head on Halloween. Owner Mark Davis made to decision to fire both McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler in a result that was still ultimately a slight surprise.
But after the move was announced, the following days didn't make things look much better when evaluating the tenure of McDaniels as head coach. And apparently, the open-floor meeting McDaniels held with players didn't quite go as planned, according to a report from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
"...We talked to sources inside the building, and [McDaniels' firing] was not as surprising to them. It goes back to last Thursday's practice before the Lions loss. McDaniels had just had a vicious team meeting. Players, coaches had ripped into him, it was ugly — they voiced their displeasure," Rapoport said on NFL Network's The Insiders.
"Then at practice a couple of hours later, he was described as 'not himself.' He was distant, he let plays happen instead of correcting. Players felt he was there in body but not in spirit, essentially based on the sources I've spoken with, it broke him."
Rapoport also said sources pointed to this incident as the one key moment for McDaniels that showed it was "over" between the coach and the Raiders.
The Insiders on @NFLGameDay: Inside the firing of #Raiders coach Josh McDaniels and why Thursday’s practice mattered; #Bears QB Justin Fields could start on Thursday; #Browns QB Deshaun Watson is finally back and ready, will start today. pic.twitter.com/hUN1ES0jlV
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 5, 2023
Hearing the report that the open meeting “broke” McDaniels is eye-opening, and leaves one to imagine just how intense things were. McDaniels finishes his tenure with the Raiders with a 9-16 record in less than two full seasons. It was his second stint as a head coach, as he posted a mark of 11-17 as the head coach of the Broncos from 2009 through 12 games of 2010, prior to being fired after Week 13.
