Since firing head coach Josh McDaniels after a 3-5 begin, Las Vegas is 3-3 below interim head coach Antonio Pierce. The Silver and Black might have thrown within the towel after the teaching change, however they seem to have rallied round Pierce and rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell, who had a profession recreation Thursday evening with 4 landing passes in a 63-21 rout of the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Raiders have but to say whether or not Pierce will keep on as head coach subsequent season, however given the franchise’s earlier errors and the best way the gamers reply to him, he is greater than worthy of consideration.
In early November, defensive finish Maxx Crosby — the group’s finest participant — endorsed Pierce, who performed within the NFL with Washington and the New York Giants (2001-09).
“I really feel just like the No. 1 factor I can say about him is he’s simply direct,” he stated in an interview with the team’s in-house media. “He’s blunt about every part, he’s going to provide the reality. Typically you don’t need to hear it, however you’d reasonably have that than any person sugarcoat [expletive]. A man like AP, you’ve acquired to respect it, as a result of he’s been a participant.”
The Raiders have endured scandal and dysfunction since 2021 when head coach Jon Gruden was compelled to resign that October after the leaking of his emails that included unseemly language.
Three weeks later, broad receiver Henry Ruggs was charged with driving below the affect and vehicular manslaughter after killing a lady in a automobile accident. Police estimated Ruggs was driving 156 miles per hour on the time of the crash. He was sentenced to 3 to 10 years in jail in August.
This pair of scandals might have despatched the Raiders into disarray and nearly did. After a 5-2 begin to the 2021 season, Las Vegas misplaced 5 of its subsequent six.
As a substitute of giving up, interim head coach Wealthy Bisaccia led the Raiders to a season-ending four-game profitable streak, securing a playoff spot for simply the second time since 2002. Though Las Vegas misplaced within the wild-card spherical to Cincinnati, Bisaccia appeared to have made his case for retention as head coach.
As a substitute, the Raiders let Bisaccia stroll and employed McDaniels in one more futile try to duplicate the success of the Patriots. Predictably, McDaniels stumbled to a 9-16 file with Las Vegas, stunting the group’s progress from 2021.
Will proprietor Mark Davis study from his current blunder and supply Pierce a long-term contract to stick with the Raiders?
That will be the smart move, however current historical past suggests Pierce can be handed over — and that will be one other black mark for a group that has 5 profitable seasons for the reason that flip of the century.