What Josh McDaniels said about facing the Raiders
The Patriots offensive coordinator will take on his former team in Sunday's home opener.
FOXBOROUGH – Two years after the Raiders fired him, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels is back in New England and gearing up to face his former team in Sunday’s home opener.
“I don’t think there was really a big reaction. Every team, every year is different,” McDaniels told reporters Thursday afternoon. “There’s obviously a lot of people on a lot of teams in the league that we all have familiarity with and know well.”
“Certainly there’s still some people there that I know well and have relationships with that hopefully we’ll have forever. Just excited for our opportunity.”
McDaniels, who spent a season-and-a-half with the Raiders as head coach, posted a 9-16 record during his time in Las Vegas. It was his second stint as an NFL head coach. The other took place in Denver, where McDaniels spent the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
Now, he’s back in a position he thrived in for more than a decade as Patriots offensive coordinator. Although he was on the staff for all six of the Patriots’ Super Bowl wins, McDaniels says there’s plenty of things to learn from the struggles during his brief stint in Las Vegas.
“I think there’s a lot,” McDaniels said. “There’s too many things that you learn from each experience to list them, in terms of a press conference … But, I think you go in there every opportunity, and this is my next one, and you do the best you can. You learn more, honestly, when you fail than when you have success.
“I’ve always tried to take each opportunity as an experience that I can grow from. Some you learn more from than others. The thing I’ve tried to get good at over time is to take the lessons and digest those and use them for something positive.”
McDaniels said he doesn’t have any “ill will” towards his former team. He praised new Raiders coach Pete Carroll, who replaced then-interim coach Antonio Pierce.
“Pete is one of the best coaches in the history of our league,” McDaniels said. “Pete has done it in pro football for a long time at an elite level, coached college football, same thing. He has produced wherever he has been.”
As Sunday’s opener approaches, McDaniels has his old job back with new pieces around him.
It’ll be Drake Maye’s first time playing on opening day at Gillette Stadium. Although he’s coming off of a major injury, Stefon Diggs could be the kind of receiver that the Patriots haven’t had in several years. Rookie left-tackle Will Campbell could wind up getting early test against Las Vegas’s Maxx Crosby.
Sunday will be a mix of old and new for McDaniels as he tries guide New England’s offense into putting up as many points as possible.
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