When owner Mark Davis removed the interim designation and named Antonio Pierce the permanent head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, the former NFL linebacker still had a lot to learn about becoming a coach.
Pierce sought counsel from Tom Coughlin, his former head coach on the New York Giants, and has maintained on-the-job training this season. However, he is facing greater issues that cannot be overcome with inspirational speeches from the Raiders’ heyday.
A troubled quarterback room and an early run of injuries to key defensive cogs swiftly drained Pierce’s enthusiasm for the 2023 season, which ended 5-4. The Raiders have lost seven consecutive games and are last in the AFC West at 2-9. The fan base is more interested in the rapid improvements that the 2025 NFL Draft could provide.
Apparently, Pierce’s mentors and confidants never told him that he could never refer to his own team as “the worst team in football,” even figuratively. But that’s exactly what he told reporters on Wednesday, two days before Vegas faces the Chiefs in Kansas City.
“Let’s call it a spade,” Pierce told reporters. “The best team in football faces the poorest team in football.
“Let’s shift the story, okay? Let’s go out there and have a dogfight. Let’s make things ugly. Let’s make it scruffy. It’s Black Friday. Let’s cause a little chaos. Let’s return to Raider football and have some fun, win or lose.
What Pierce stated was not intended to be taken literally. He was addressing the “narrative” of how terrific the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs are and how horrible his cellar-dwelling Raiders have been.
The problem is that Pierce’s statements will be interpreted literally, and while that may appear unjust, the unintentional error allows more dirt to be slung at the Raiders, who have already suffered enough shame this season and over the previous two largely unsuccessful decades.
Even if Pierce attempts to retract his statements, it will be too late. “Worst team in football” has already been tattooed on the foreheads of Pierce, his coaching staff, his players, and Davis. Then there’s the very real prospect that Patrick Mahomes may eventually face repercussions for an ill-advised remark at Raiders training camp.
Pierce’s sound bite from Wednesday will undoubtedly be included in the “highlights” package reviewing his time with the Raiders, which seems to be happening more frequently with each loss.
Last year, Pierce’s “RAI-DERS!” screams gave everyone optimism. Unfortunately, it appears that the “worst” is yet to come for the coach and his club.
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