The Raiders only won four games in 2024, but based on Sunday’s performance against the Patriots, the team is taking strides in the right direction under head coach Pete Carroll.
There was a lot to feel good about in the Raiders’ 20-13 road win at New England, and Yahoo/FOX Sports host Jason Fitz spelled out on Tuesday what stood out most to him in the season opener.
“This was a win that felt like professionalism. I was getting texts from friends that cover nationally. They were saying, ‘Man, it’s just nice to see what looks like an adult organization,'” Fitz said on Raider Nation Radio’s Morning Tailgate.
“I think the biggest thing that stood out to me in this win is that it was ups and downs, ebbs and flows, lots to still work on. [The Raiders] never felt too high, never felt too low, never felt overwhelmed, never felt like they were chasing their tails. There is a level of palm professionalism that comes when you have adults in the room at all of your key positions. It just makes things feel different on Sundays.”
It’s worth noting the Patriots only won four games in 2024, but they have enjoyed a lot of hype in recent months with Mike Vrabel and Josh McDaniels in the building.
Additionally, many view second-year quarterback Drake Maye as one of the promising young signal callers in the league.
Not only did Geno Smith outplay his New England counterpart on Sunday, but the Raiders’ coaching staff seemed to run circles around the Patriots’ coaching staff, particularly in the second half. Whether is was adjustments made at halftime or something else, it’s been a long time since the Raiders went into the locker room at halftime and emerged in the second half as the better team.
As for the aforementioned McDaniels, his quarterback is already answering questions about his offensive coordinator and that will be a dynamic to keep an eye on as the season moves forward.
Maye’s comments were most likely a response to a series of remarks made earlier in the week about McDaniels and his complicated offense.
On Monday, the Boston Sports Journal’s Mike Giardi talked about the Patriots’ regular season opener, and said he has concerns about the effect McDaniels is having on Maye in his second NFL season.
“It felt like there’s too much going on in Drake Maye’s brain as he tries to process all the stuff that he’s got put in his head since Josh McDaniels and Mike Vrabel took over,” Giardi said on Monday.
“I think [Maye’s] instinct is to extend plays and to make something bigger happen, and I don’t think that’s how they want him to play for often, and so to me there’s a little bit of a battle,” Giardi continued. “I’m not pressing the panic button [or] sounding the alarm or anything, but I do think it’s something to monitor going forward where you’ve got to figure out what’s the best way to get the very best out of this quarterback who likes to play from shotgun, who wants to push the ball down the field.”
“How can we do that and yet do it within the structure of how Mike [Vrabel] and Josh [McDaniels] want to play?”
x: @raidersbeat
McDaniels unchecked will ruin another promising QB. Just watch.