ESPN NFL reporter Dan Graziano defined why Las Vegas Raiders interim head coach Antonio Pierce may earn the full-time job now that Pierce has gone 3-3 for the reason that firing of coach Josh McDaniels and common supervisor David Ziegler.
“The Raiders had scored 126 factors in eight video games below McDaniels this season,” Graziano wrote. “And in six video games below Pierce, they’ve now scored 139. Two years in the past, when the Raiders rallied behind interim coach Wealthy Bisaccia to make the playoffs after Jon Gruden resigned, Raiders proprietor Mark Davis determined to rent McDaniels as an alternative of maintaining Bisaccia, whom the gamers wished to remain. That reminiscence is contemporary in Davis’ thoughts, and if the Raiders end the season robust, he might determine he does not wish to repeat the identical mistake.”
After the 2021 Raiders went 7-5 below Bisaccia to make a visit to the postseason, gamers equivalent to then-Las Vegas quarterback Derek Carr overtly campaigned for Bisaccia to carry onto the highest job via that winter. Las Vegas is 6-8 heading into the Christmas Day sport on the 9-5 Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, however the ESPN Soccer Energy Index confirmed as of Monday afternoon that the Raiders nonetheless have a 1.0% likelihood to make the playoffs.
“Subsequent yr’s Raiders have numerous inquiries to reply, chief amongst them who’ll play quarterback for them within the quick time period and (hopefully) the long run,” Graziano continued. “However the protection has performed particularly nicely since Pierce turned the coach, and there is proof to help the concept the workforce has responded to him. Davis will certainly do a full search, however Pierce has proven sufficient to need to be part of it. And it isn’t out of the query he may emerge the winner.”
The Raiders most lately crushed the Los Angeles Chargers 63-21 this previous Thursday night time. Los Angeles parted ways with head coach Brandon Staley and common supervisor Tom Telesco on Friday.
On Monday afternoon, oddschecker listed the Raiders as 10-point underdogs in opposition to the Chiefs. Whereas Davis might not less than think about buying and selling for New England Patriots head coach Invoice Belichick assuming Patriots proprietor Robert Kraft goes in a different direction subsequent month, Pierce may put himself able to win the job if he guides the Raiders to an upset win at GEHA Subject at Arrowhead Stadium in entrance of a nationwide tv viewers.