The Raiders franchise is looking for stability at head coach for the first time in a long time. The franchise has not had a coach last for five consecutive seasons since Tom Flores from 1982-1987.
This year was more of the same in terms of coaching turmoil. Josh McDaniels lasted just eight games into his second year before team owner Mark Davis had enough, leaving Antonio Pierce as interim coach.
While Las Vegas will miss the playoffs at 7-9, the team has looked much better under Antonio Pierce. The Raiders are 4-4 since he became head coach, despite having to start fifth-round rookie Aidan O’Connell at quarterback.
The team appears to be more disciplined and organized, and they seem to be playing harder for the former NFL linebacker than they ever did for Josh McDaniels.
Many think that Antonio Pierce should get the full-time gig after the season, and he got a big endorsement on Thursday when the team’s best player, defensive end Maxx Crosby, put his support behind Antonio Pierce.
The Raiders soon will launch their latest search for a new head coach. Star defensive end Maxx Crosby believes it shouldn’t take long to find the right person.
Crosby on Thursday made the case for interim coach Antonio Pierce getting the job.
“There’s only 32 [NFL] head coaches in the whole world,” Crosby said Thursday, via Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com. “So you’ve got to find a leader of men. And when you’ve got one of them in the building currently, I don’t know why you would let them go.”
Crosby in the midst of another dominant season, tallying 13.5 sacks with 18 hurries on the year. His word should carry weight as he is the leader of that team and an incredible competitor.
Pierce won Super Bowl XLII as the middle linebacker for the New York Giants, and was the Raiders’ linebackers coach before being promoted to interim head coach. He has no head coaching experience in his coaching career.
The Raiders wrap up their season against the Broncos on Sunday.
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Stidham in familiar situation in return to Las Vegas when the Broncos play the Raiders
Yeah, Jarrett Stidham has been here before.
A year ago, he stepped in for Derek Carr as the Las Vegas Raiders concluded their season. This season, he’s doing it in place of Russell Wilson at the tail end of the Denver Broncos’ season.
Now past meets present Sunday as Stidham returns to Las Vegas and the Broncos (8-8) to play the Raiders (7-9) in the season finale for both teams.
“I spent a year there and made a lot of relationships with a lot people,” Stidham said. “But I’m here now, so I’m looking forward to playing against those guys. I did it in practice, obviously, all last year.”
Stidham went 0-2 in both his Las Vegas starts, but gave the San Francisco 49ers fits with 365 yards and three touchdown passes in a 37-34 loss.
“I think for him that first start against a really good defense opened a lot of people’s eyes,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said. “I don’t know that anyone saw that coming.”
Stidham’s other start last season was a 31-13 loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Stidham finally broke through Sunday with his first career victory, 16-9 over the Los Angeles Chargers.
“I went against Stid all year last year on the scout (team), so I know a couple of his tricks,” Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs said. “I think he’s a really good player. What he did last year against the 49ers and what he showed this year when he got his chance, he takes full advantage of every chance he gets to step on the field.”
SLUMP BUSTERS
The Broncos may have extended their playoff drought to eight years, but they ended some embarrassing skids within the AFC West.
Denver vanquished its 16-game losing skid to the Chiefs with a resounding Week 8 win over the Chiefs in Denver and beat the Chargers on the road for the first time since 2019. Now, they’re out to halt their seven-game losing streak to the Raiders with their first win in Las Vegas in four tries.
“I don’t even know that I was aware that we had lost that many games to Las Vegas/Oakland,” Payton said. “I think what would be important for us is to get to our ninth win.”
That would snap another ignominious streak for the Broncos, who haven’t posted a winning season since 2016.
ANOTHER GRAND FOR ADAMS
Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams has reached 1,000 yards receiving each of the past four seasons. But with Las Vegas out of the running for the playoffs, Adams didn’t want to make too big a deal about it.
“If we were in a better position as a team, it’d be more enjoyable, but obviously it’s a good notch to be able to hit,” he said. “But 1,000 yards is not really my mark for what I consider necessarily a good season. Obviously, it’s good because in everybody else’s mind it means so much, but I also had two seasons of 997 and they acted like I didn’t have 1,000 yards that year.”
Adams came three yards about from 1,000 in 2016 and 2019. If he had reached it in 2019, his streak would be at six seasons.
CROSBY HONORED BY TEAMMATES
Defensive end Maxx Crosby won the Commitment to Excellence Award for the third year in a row, a Raiders team honor voted on by teammates.
Crosby has 13 1/2 sacks, 21 tackles for loss and 88 tackles, but perhaps more impressively, he seldom comes off the field even while playing with a lingering knee injury. He has played 95% of defensive snaps and in nine games didn’t leave field while on defense.
“I can’t speak highly enough of this guy,” Stidham said. “Being with him every day for a year, seeing how he works, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a player play that hard for that long every single time he’s out on the field. So he’s going to bring it. We have to be ready. He’s one of the best in the league for a reason.”
Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II received the Demaryius Thomas Team MVP Award, which was voted on by the Denver chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America.
MUSICAL CHAIRS AT QB
Left tackle Garett Bolles is the longest-tenured offensive player in Denver and he came close this week but couldn’t quite name all 13 quarterbacks for whom he has blocked for during his seven seasons.
He slipped on the very last one, saying Case Keenum again instead of Stidham.
“You know, it’s a tough situation, that things happen around here. I think it was my 13th quarterback that I blocked for,” Bolles said. “So, it’s frustrating for me, especially. But at the same time, that’s who Coach wanted, and I’ve gotta do my job.”
