National Football League

Will Raiders take a big leap under new coach Josh McDaniels?

Updated Feb. 2, 2022 3:26 p.m. ET

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Three weeks after their season came to an end in the AFC wild-card round, the Las Vegas Raiders have named the next head coach of their franchise.

Josh McDaniels takes over a job that became available after the team fired Jon Gruden midway through the 2021 season, and after the team opted not to stick with interim coach Rich Bisaccia.

McDaniels served as the New England Patriots' offensive coordinator from 2006-2008 and 2012 through this past season. From 2009-2010, he was head coach of the Denver Broncos. In 2011, he was the offensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams before returning to the Patriots.

During a visit by "The Herd" on Wednesday, McDaniels stated that his stop in St. Louis helped him grow after a disappointing stint with the Broncos.

"A very therapeutic thing for me was my time in St. Louis," McDaniels said. "We didn't have a great season that year, but I spent a lot of time there in the offseason, by myself. My family hadn't moved there yet, and really tried to do a deep dive into all the things that I did and didn't do."

Josh McDaniels on his readiness for Raiders job

Josh McDaniels joins Colin Cowherd to discuss his new position as the Las Vegas Raiders head coach. McDaniels reflects on his time coaching Tom Brady with the New England Patriots and the lessons he learned from Brady that he'll bring into his relationship with Raiders QB Derek Carr. Finally McDaniels delved into what he learned from his first head coaching stint with the Denver Broncos.

While McDaniels was only 11-17 with the Broncos — he was fired after Week 13 in the 2010 season — but his résumé as the offensive coordinator of the Patriots explains why the Raiders are giving him a shot.

The Patriots finished with the No. 1 scoring offense in the NFL in 2007 (38.6 PPG) and 2012 (34.8 PPG) under McDaniels, both ranking among the five highest-scoring seasons in NFL history.

New England finished eighth or better in scoring in 12 of his 13 seasons as the offensive coordinator.

With that type of résumé, McDaniels can take the Raiders' offense and quarterback Derek Carr to new heights, according to Raiders legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Howie Long.

"I think Josh McDaniels is a great hire right now," Long said on "The Herd." "The offense will fit [Carr], and I think he'll take his game to another level."

Howie Long on Raiders: McDaniels is a great hire

FOX NFL Sunday analyst Howie Long explains why new coach Josh McDaniels will benefit quarterback Derek Carr and the entire Raiders offense.

While the Raiders were sixth in passing yards per game this season (268.6), they were only 18th in scoring (22.0 PPG) and ranked 28th in rushing yards per game (95.1 YPG).

The past four seasons in New England, McDaniels has led an offense that established the run at every turn, ranking in the top 10 in rushing attempts in each season.

If McDaniels is able to bring balance to the Raiders' offense, there is a strong chance that the team's scoring could rise in 2022.

And that could help Las Vegas turn a 2021 postseason berth into something more.

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The Herd with Colin Cowherd