Raiders Rumors: Players 'Have Taken This Place Over' After Josh McDaniels' Firing

The culture shock with the Las Vegas Raiders following the team's firing of head coach Josh McDaniels has reportedly been very noticeable.

The Raiders have won two consecutive games following McDaniels' firing, and Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported Saturday that a shift has been made toward a more player-friendly approach under interim head coach Antonio Pierce.

"The players have taken this place over," a Raiders source told Russini. "Ownership is fine with it, too."

Another Raider source told Russini that a feeling of "'Ding dong, the witch is dead'" has permeated the locker room after McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler were let go.

Las Vegas hired both Ziegler and McDaniels ahead of the 2022 NFL season and their tenure with the team was underwhelming, to say the least.

The Raiders went 9-16 under McDaniels and Ziegler, despite the pair inheriting a team that went 10-7 and reached the postseason. Las Vegas also added dynamic receiver Davante Adams to go with four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Derek Carr.

By year two, Carr was a New Orleans Saint and the relationship with Adams and other Raiders players was noticeably deteriorating. The downward spiral led to the team's 3-5 start that triggered the dismissals.

Las Vegas is now 5-5 and sits in second place in the AFC West under interim head coach Antonio Pierce's watch. A tough test against the Miami Dolphins is slated for Sunday, but Pierce will have an opportunity to become just the third coach in Raiders history to start his tenure 3-0.