Viral stat shows Raiders’ improvement after Josh McDaniels firing

Sep 26, 2021; Paradise, Nevada, USA; A detailed view of the Las Vegas Raiders shield logo at midfield at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Las Vegas Raiders fired coach Josh McDaniels during the week, and the move appears to be paying immediate dividends for them judging from how things went for them in Week 9.

The Raider offense, in particular, seemed reinvigorated after McDaniels was ousted. One stat demonstrated that nicely: their 24 first half points against the New York Giants was not only their highest-scoring half of the season, but also their highest point total in any full game in 2023.

The #Raiders scored more points in the first half today vs. the Giants (24) than they did in any full game in the first eight weeks of the season. https://t.co/5vvMUyL4C8 pic.twitter.com/4b0ntnq6Oa

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 5, 2023

The Raiders’ previous high output game in Week 6, when they scored 21 points in a narrow win over the New England Patriots. Until Sunday, that managed to be the only game all year in which they scored at least 20 points.

It is fair to point out that the Raiders are facing the Giants, who have performed very poorly all season. However, they failed to do much of note against other non-playoff teams such as the Broncos, Patriots, and Bears. Considering how toxic the environment was under McDaniels, any change might have been bound to help.

An improved performance might have been inevitable given how much looser things seemed in the Raider locker room leading up to the game, too.