Raiders’ Davante Adams admits Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler firings were needed to ‘revitalize’ the team after 3-5 start: ‘It was time for some sort of change’

Las Vegas Raiders receiver Davante Adams has supported the decision to fire head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler, admitting their departures were necessary to “revitalize” the team.

McDaniels and Ziegler received pink slips this week and paid the price for a terrible start to the season less than two years after owner Mark Davis leased them from the New England Patriots.

Raiders linebacker coach Antonio Pierce, a former New York Giants star, will take over the team on an interim basis until a permanent replacement for McDaniels is found, while assistant GM Champ Kelly Ziegler will fill in temporarily.

And Adams, who had just one catch for 11 yards on seven targets in the loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 8, believes the time had come for changes at both the coaching and administrative levels.

“Don’t get it confused,” he said. ‘It is no surprise that we have a new coach and that changes have been made.

McDaniels and Ziegler (left and right) got pink slips this week and paid the price for a terrible start to the season

Champ Kelly and Antonio Pierce (left and right) temporarily replaced the pair

‘Obviously we think it was time for some kind of change. Just to bring in some juice and revitalize the team a little bit.

“So I think that’s the mentality that we have, just trying to have fun and enjoy our time in this building, because I think when we talk to each other, it’s been too much, this just felt like work too a lot and too little fun.’

In two seasons with the Raiders, McDaniels went just 9-16.

And McDaniels didn’t win with Denver in his first round as head coach either, going just 11-17 in two seasons.

He was previously considered one of the brightest offensive minds in the game, having worked with Tom Brady for years on the Patriots and his work helping develop rookie Mac Jones this season.

In addition to the losses, McDaniels has made a series of decisions that have backfired in Las Vegas, especially after losing starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to a back injury two weeks ago.

He decided to select Brian Hoyer, a quarterback who hasn’t won a game as a starter in seven years, over rookie Aidan O’Connell. As a result, Hoyer earned a dismal quarterback rating of 37.1, and the Raiders are still at a loss about O’Connell and whether he has a real future.

Garoppolo returned Monday night, but Las Vegas still lost.