Las Vegas Raiders coach doesn’t understand basic NFL rules and fails at maths during painful loss
Las Vegas coach Josh McDaniels apparently needs some help with counting.
The Raiders were in early trouble during the NFL’s late game on Sunday night, trailing the Pittsburgh Steelers at halftime and staring at a 23-7 deficit entering the fourth quarter.
If Las Vegas was going to pull off a late rally, touchdowns would be required, not simple field goals.
McDaniels oddly went in the opposite direction during a frustrating 23-18 defeat and his late-game decision making had Raiders fans shaking their heads in disbelief.
were relentless in reminding McDaniels that he missed the obvious in the loss.
By Monday morning, was trending.
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“Does he know how much you can get in one possession?†one fan tweeted.
“If you score 8, and it ends tied after regulation, you don't need one until overtime. Hope this helps,†another fan said.
“Does he know mathematics?†a fan asked. “I would think somebody would have corrected him.â€
Another went for the big picture: “If the Raiders ownership was smart they would admit to themselves they do not have a good head coach and cut their losses.â€
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Las Vegas fell to 1-2 after McDaniels failed his basic NFL maths test.
The Raiders trailed 23-15 late in the fourth.
That eight-point deficit could have been covered with a touchdown and successful two-point conversion, which would have then extended the game into overtime.
The Raiders got the ball back with more than 4 minutes remaining after Pittsburgh's offense went three and out.
Las Vegas marched 44 yards in nine plays and reached Pittsburgh's 8-yard line, approaching the end zone and clearly in red-zone territory.
Instead of pushing for a much-needed TD on fourth-and-four, McDaniels opted for a 26-yard field that left the Raiders still needing a touchdown.
"You're going to need another possession anyway, you know what I mean?" McDaniels . "So, it's not a lack of confidence. We went for it multiple times."
His reasoning quickly backfired.
Las Vegas did get the ball back but Jimmy Garoppolo's third interception of the night ended any hopes of a thrilling late-game comeback.
The Raiders’ best shot at a game-tying TD came from the 8-yard line with 2:22 to go.
McDaniels took the ball out of his franchise QB’s hands and opted for three points that amounted to nothing for Las Vegas in the end.
“The more you see the (Bill) Belichick tree, the more you realize (Tom) Brady was the reason,†a fan tweeted. “McDaniels can't do first grade math.â€
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