Expert Analysis
11/24/23
5 min read
Antonio Pierce Is Earning Raiders Head Coach Job
Antonio Pierce will be the next head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.
I don’t have any inside information. This isn’t “breaking news”.
This is what I believe will happen based on several factors. Granted, predicting how the rest of the season will play out for the Raiders is tough. And maybe even tougher to figure out the logic or lack thereof when it comes to owner Mark Davis and his decision making.
But at this point, I would consider it an upset if it doesn’t happen, and here’s why:
Off To A Fast Start
The first game with Pierce as the interim head coach started quickly as the Raiders pounded the New York Giants, 30-6. Not only was it a dominant victory, but the Raiders scored more points in the game than they had all season, and they did it with rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell getting just his second start for Las Vegas.
Sometimes, a team fires a coach and gets a temporary boost from the transition, but the Raiders proved it wasn’t just a short-term shot in the arm when they beat the Jets the following week in primetime. I’ve always said primetime games count at least double in the court of public opinion, and that was the case as much of the broadcast focused on the revival of the Raiders under Pierce.
Believe it or not, even Sunday’s loss to the Dolphins was very encouraging for Pierce and his prospects moving forward. Most people thought the Raiders would run out of energy after the primetime victory over the Jets, especially going on the road to South Florida to take on a Dolphins team off the bye. There is a reason why the Raiders were double-digit underdogs, yet they came out and went toe to toe with one of the better teams in the league on the road and proved they were no one- or two-week wonder under Pierce.
The Players Like Him
It would be hard to overstate the importance of this after the firing of former coach Josh McDaniels. It is abundantly clear, based on the quotes of players like Hunter Renfrow, DaVante Adams, etc., that the players did not appreciate either McDaniels or the culture that permeated throughout the building.
“I think (Pierce) just let us kind of be ourselves and let our hair down,” Renfrow said, “Just have fun playing football again and not walk on eggshells everywhere. Just go out there and enjoy playing like we’re kids.”
Quotes like that highlight the stark contrast between Pierce and McDaniels, as do the videos we’ve seen of the Raiders smoking victory cigars in the locker room after their first two victories with Pierce as head coach.
They want to play for Pierce. They didn’t want to play for McDaniels. Don’t discount that.
Who Pierce Is
Pierce and I were undrafted rookie free agents together under head coach Marty Schottenheimer in Washington in 2001. He became a really good player who not only made the team that year but also made a Pro Bowl and captained a Giants team that won the Super Bowl. More importantly, even as a young player, he had an infectious and engaging personality that really resonated with the other guys.
He was super professional off the field, very intense on it, yet had a certain charisma about him that helped him become a leader pretty early on special teams before getting his chance on defense. Point is, I am not surprised in the slightest that he’s had success in coaching or that he’s well liked by the players in Las Vegas. That’s just who he is.
Raiders Can't Repeat Mistakes
This is the big one. Whether he acknowledges it publicly or not, Davis knows he screwed up the last time he was in this situation.
It was 2021, and the Raiders were in turmoil. Davis had to move on from Jon Gruden after the email scandal in the middle of the season, plus the team had to deal with the horrific and tragic incident involving first-round pick Henry Ruggs. It would have been understandable if the Raiders season went down the drain at that point.
Instead, they rallied. They won a number of close games under interim head coach Rich Bisaccia on their way to a surprising playoff berth and even an impressive performance in that game. People forget that the Raiders were in the red zone against the eventual AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals with a chance to win late.
Instead of rewarding Bisaccia with a chance to prove he could build off what he had accomplished and give him an opportunity to be the head man, Davis looked elsewhere. He thought he and the Raiders were too good for a “special teams” coach like Bisaccia and decided to bring in a big name like McDaniels.
It was a disastrous decision right from the start.
Obviously, how the Raiders perform the rest of the season will have a huge impact on what Davis decides but you have to think if the Raiders stay competitive, and I believe they will, that Davis will be hesitant to once again discard another interim head coach that has had success and is popular with the players.
It sure as heck didn’t work the last time.
