The Las Vegas Raiders took a step in the right direction on Monday night, getting a big win over the Green Bay Packers 17-13. With expectations of competing for a playoff berth, many were looking at owner Mark Davis to possibly make a move if the team continued to underperform.
Those talks have, for the time being at least, quieted after a victory, but even during a positive time, Davis didn’t look too happy in his suite at Allegiant Stadium.
The Raiders had just kicked a field goal to go up 10-3 in the second quarter when cameras were put on Davis in the owner’s box. Davis could be seen swearing while chatting with one of his guests via Joseph Staszewski of the New York Post:
A camera at Allegiant Stadium caught the Raiders owner yelling, “What an asshole,” with 2:32 to play in the second quarter after Las Vegas settled for a 26-yard Daniel Carlson field goal as their drive stalled at the Packers’ 8-yard line.
In fairness, even though the Raiders did get points on the board, a field goal in that situation was disappointing. The Raiders had intercepted Jordan Love and began the drive inside the Packers’ 10-yard line, so settling for three instead of seven could have led to Davis’ frustration:
Maybe Davis, whose famous bowl haircut looked shorter than usual, was upset at coach Josh McDaniel for settling for a field goal. Maybe it was at Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo as their drive stalled after four plays — actually losing a yard following a Las Vegas interception of Packers quarterback Jordan Love.
Even still, the question many have is who exactly is the asshole that Davis was referring to. Could it be head coach Josh McDaniels or offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi. Perhaps it is even quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo who has been a bit of a disappointment so far, with more interceptions than touchdown passes.
No matter the case, there seems to be some unhappiness building with Davis and the state of the Raiders so far this season. The players themselves have spoken about being disappointed with their performance so far this season, and things need to change soon.
There is still plenty of time for the team to do just that, and a victory in primetime on Monday night could be the catalyst for that turnaround. Hopefully, soon there will be more shots of Davis celebrating in his suites than being angry.