Raiders owner Davis sticks by coach McDaniels
The Raiders were booed off their home field Sunday after their 25-20 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, and Las Vegas first-year head coach Josh McDaniels has come under strong media and fan criticism for the 2-7 record.
But the voice that truly counts, the one belonging to owner Mark Davis, said Monday he believes in McDaniels’ plan for turning the Raiders into a winner.
“We did an exhaustive search, and that’s who we decided to hire,” Davis said. “We’re building an organization. We’re building a team. We’re building it for the future. Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
That doesn’t mean major changes aren’t coming.
Quarterback Derek Carr, playing on a teamfriendly contract with what appears to be a strong quarterback draft class next year, could be one of those changes. Carr sounded as if he knew he was looking at the end when he teared up during the pos-game news conference.
“I think the emotion of just nine years of stuff hit me today, for how much I really love this place,” Carr said Sunday.
McDaniels also could make changes to his coaching staff. He also could take a much closer look at the younger players to better evaluate the overall roster.
Perhaps along those lines, defensive linemen Matthew Butler, Neil Farrell and Clelin Ferrell were placed on the inactive list against the Colts. On Monday, the Raiders claimed 2019 Chargers first-round pick Jerry Tillery, a defensive lineman, off waivers. Panthers’ players want grass field: A number of Carolina players are pushing the team’s multibillionaire owner, David Tepper, to replace the artificial surface at Bank of America Stadium with a grass field to help prevent injuries.
Wide receiver D.J. Moore said team leaders have spoken to Tepper on multiple occasions this season about their desire to return to a grass field.
Bank of America Stadium,
an outdoor, open-air facility, was built in 1995 and featured a grass field up until the spring of 2021. Tepper decided to install FieldTurf as part of a $50 million renovation project after landing a Major League Soccer expansion team.
“It’s probably going to take all of us to stop going to practice until we get grass,” Carolina linebacker Shaq Thompson said. “I mean they make enough money off of us to maintain grass . ... Listen to your players. We want to play on grass.”
Several players around the NFL have been outspoken recently about the growing number of injuries related to playing on artificial surfaces, and the league’s Players Association called on venues to improve playing conditions.
That includes players on the 49ers, who have lost a number of players to serious injuries on turf, including cornerback Emmanuel Moseley (torn ACL) on Oct. 9 in Charlotte.
Watson practices: Deshaun Watson’s return from an 11-game NFL suspension remains on schedule. Cleveland’s No. 1 quarterback was cleared to practice, a significant step for the three-time Pro Bowler accused of sexual misconduct by more than two dozen women while he played for Houston.
Watson reached a settlement with the league in August to sit out 11 games, pay a $5 million fine and undergo counseling and treatment. As long as he continues to meet conditions of the agreement, Watson will make his regular-season debut for the Browns on Dec. 4 against Houston, which drafted him in 2017 and traded him to Cleveland in March for three first-round draft picks.
Briefly: Miami placed defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah on injured reserve after he suffered a seasonending triceps injury in Sunday’s 39-17 win over Cleveland . ... Atlanta head coach Arthur Smith says Marcus Mariota will keep his starting quarterback job following back-to-back losses.