Adams-McDaniels, Herbert-Staley ‘Under Duress’ in Week 4

Heading into Week 4 of the NFL season, there are high expectations for a few AFC West teams that have yet to make their mark this year. 

On Friday, “First Things First” cohost Chris Broussard discussed which two AFC West coach-star pairs desperately need to deliver a win this week, beginning with Davante Adams and Josh McDaniels. 

The Las Vegas Raiders are one of two winless teams left in the NFL and will take on 2-1 Denver this week (4:25 p.m. ET). Adams has 17 receptions, 189 receiving yards and three touchdowns on the year. But after a 4-0 preseason under new head coach Josh McDaniels, the Raiders are 0-3 in the regular season for the first time since 2018. 

They have never reached the playoffs after starting the season with three straight losses.

“The Raiders [have] the worst record in the league, and Josh McDaniels — we all know he was a great offensive coordinator — but his head coaching career in Denver wasn’t good … and now he’s 0-3 on a team that some people … picked to reach the Super Bowl. … If they lose this that seat might get hot for Josh McDaniels. … It’s possible Davante Adams could play the rest of his career in relative, if not total, anonymity. If they’re not a good team, and he’s not racking up the numbers he did with Aaron Rodgers, that could happen.”

Broussard then put the focus on Justin Herbert and Brandon Staley of the Los Angeles Chargers.

L.A. will face Houston, the second of the two winless teams left in the NFL, in Week 4 (1 p.m. ET). Herbert has completed 66.1% of his passes for 910 passing yards, seven scores and two interceptions through the first three weeks of the season. However, the Chargers haven’t made it to the postseason or finished better than third in the division since Herbert’s arrival in 2020.

“I do believe in that building, head coach Brandon Staley has support,” Broussard said. “I don’t think he’s on the hot seat in the building, but outside the building — a lot of people are looking at all those questionable fourth downs they went for last year. [They] didn’t make the playoffs [last year]. The defense, which was supposed to be a specialty, got worse. And now, last week, everybody’s wondering, ‘Why are you leaving your quarterback with broken ribs in the game when you’re down 28 (points) with a few minutes left?’ 

“So, outside the building, I think the seat’s getting hot for Staley. If [the Chargers] lose this, they’re 1-3 in a tough division.”