Antonio Pierce shared his thoughts on his team’s motivation and culture heading into the stretch run.
The Las Vegas Raiders started out the season in disappointing fashion. Since then, they’ve managed to scratch and claw their way back to respectability. The Raiders are 7-8 on the season, two games behind the Kansas City Chiefs in the win column and tied with the Broncos for second place.
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While a playoff berth is unlikely, star defensive end Maxx Crosby and Interim Coach Antonio Pierce are giving Raiders fans hope for a better tomorrow.
A fiery halftime speech helped Pierce to motivate his troops against the defending Super Bowl champions. Raiders cornerback Jack Jones trolled Patrick Mahomes after the team’s win in Kansas City on Christmas Day.
Pierce Reveals Approach to Raiders’ Success
Pierce joined Inside the NFL in a segment released on Tuesday, December 26. He talked about the different notes he’s taken and the messages he’s shared with his team with the intent of firing them up during their recent run of relative success in the AFC West.
He revealed that he has allowed the culture of his Raiders team to be “set by (his) players” instead of attempting to dictate it to them his own way.
Interim head coach Antonio Pierce and the Las Vegas Raiders close up shop on the season Week 18 against the Denver Broncos Sunday afternoon.
Pierce has led Vegas to a respectful 4-4 record since replacing a fired Josh McDaniels as the team’s head coach. Some rightfully believe that this should earn him the full-time gig.
While that still might happen, one report indicates that owner Mark Davis and Co. are going to go big-game hunting. If it doesn’t work out, the Raiders will then circle back to Pierce.
“One thing I’ve heard is that Davis may have a big swing in him, and that he’d go with Pierce if that swing weren’t to work out,” Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported.
“A couple things should really help Antonio Pierce with Mark Davis. The first is that Davis still harbors some regret over not giving Rich Bisaccia another year after Bisaccia united a team that was going through a lot—the Jon Gruden fiasco, and Henry Ruggs’s and Damon Arnette’s off-field problems—and got the Raiders to the playoffs. The second is that Davis does listen to his players.”
There is a lot to unpack here. First off, Davis was under fire for his decision to hire McDaniels instead of promoting Bisaccia to the full-time head coach after the 2021 season. Bisaccia led Vegas to a surprise playoff appearance after Jon Gruden had to resign in disgrace.
Secondly, Raiders stars have come out in support of Pierce since he replaced McDaniels. That includes All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams.
“I’m definitely rooting for him. I love the guy, I love his mentality, his passion for the game is undeniable. His evolution. He’s done a great job,” Adams said of Pierce in late December.