Tag: Antonio Pierce

Antonio Pierce says talks with Mark Davis ‘positive’ despite Raiders losing streak

Antonio Pierce’s job as Raiders head coach is on shaky ground, but he says he and Mark Davis’s conversations have still been positive.

It’s been a long season for Antonio Pierce. He was handed the reins as Raiders head coach after leading the team to a strong push late last season as interim head coach. But it has not gone as he and owner Mark Davis had hoped and the team is in the throes of a ten-game losing streak.

Pierce had the backing of the players, led by Maxx Crosby, to return as head coach. Davis listened to them as well as many of the fans and gave Pierce a shot. The team even fired new OC Luke Getsy midseason in the hopes that might improve things. It hasn’t. The team has continued to lose. In fact the losing streak without Getsy (five) is now the same as it was with Getsy.

The beleaguered head coach was asked Tuesday about how his talks with Mark Davis have gone of late.

“Me and Mark Davis talk often. And the conversations have been the same as they always are. Very positive,” said Pierce.

He was also asked if he thought he would be back next year, to which he would only say “I’m under contract.” Which is not really answering the question. Though, it certainly doesn’t sound like he’s feeling very confident.

Antonio Pierce had advice for QB Desmond Ridder who gets start vs his former team

Raiders will start QB Desmond Ridder against the Falcons Monday Night. Ridder started 17 games with the Falcons the past two seasons.

After missing the entire week of practices, Aidan O’Connell tested out his knee injury prior to the Raiders’ Monday Night game against the Falcons. The team deemed him not healthy enough to go and he won’t play.

Making the start in his place will be Desmond Ridder, who, as it happens, faces the team with which he started 17 games over the past two seasons.

Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce is a former player. He spent his final five seasons in the NFL in the division rival (Giants) of the team he played with his first NFL seasons (Washington). Then in his first game as Raiders interim head coach last season, he faced the team with which he won a Super Bowl. So he knows what it’s like facing his former team

“Yeah, you’ve got to take the emotional part out of it,” Pierce said of Ridder facing his former team. “It’s not Desmond [Ridder] versus the Atlanta Falcons. It’s the Raiders versus the Atlanta Falcons, and he understands that. Listen, just do your job as a quarterback. We don’t need you to be Superman and go out there and win it by yourself. It’s a team sport. Understand what we’re trying to do with the game plan . . . But more importantly, don’t make it an individual matchup. That’s in your past. You’ve moved on, got a great opportunity here. Worry about that.”

Ridder was a third round pick by the Falcons. And this offseason they signed Kirk Cousins to a big contract and drafted Michael Penix Jr with the No. 8 overall pick, making Ridder expendable. He then signed onto the Cardinals practice squad and was later signed by the Raiders.

Antonio Pierce runs out of comparisons for Brock Bowers ‘this guy is different’

At some point Brock Bowers had to be the next…Brock Bowers. And it seems that time has arrived sooner than expected.

Comparisons can be fun. If for no other reasons that to give people an easy way to project what kind of player a prospect will be. And Brock Bowers drew all kinds of them coming out of Georgia.

Dane Brugler in his “The Beast” Draft guide offered the player comp of 49ers TE George Kittle. Other names that have come up have been Rob Gronkowski and Travis Kelce. That’s the best tight ends in the NFL in recent memory and some lofty comparisons to be certain.

But after Bowers’s latest game in which he set another new career-high with 140 yards receiving in Kansas City, Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce is done with comparisons. Bowers is one-of-a-kind.

“No. Not this one. This guy is different,” Pierce said of Bowers. “This is different. Because when you’re getting matched up on the number one corner, when you’re getting double teamed throughout the field, and they know we’re going to throw him the ball, we’re going to keep throwing him the ball.

“He’s one of those matchups…it’s hard. I don’t know. Because his body type is different. I think there was some comparisons early on to like Aaron Hernandez, that type. But I just think the way he plays the game after he has the ball. He’s really like a running back. He’s a receiver when the ball’s in the air, but when he has the ball in his hands, he’s punishing people. He’s skilled enough obviously with his hands, his catch radius, I can’t really speak highly enough about this player. This player is doing a hell of a job this year for us and it’s no secret what we’re going to do each and every play when there’s an opportunity to throw it to 89.”

Teams have figured out not only that putting a linebacker on Bowers would be a mistake, but that they should simply be putting their best defensive back on him. This included the Broncos shadowing Bowers with Patrick Surtain II all game. And last week the Chiefs put their top cornerback Trent McDuffie on him. And it didn’t matter.

“Just his releases. We throw him a fade over there on [Trent] McDuffie late in the game in the third quarter and his ability to stack him, get on top and make a one-handed catch, putting his hand up late. Those are things that you see more veteran players do. But obviously very skilled and tremendous athlete,” Pierce continued.

Pierce has said multiple times that he could tell from the moment Bowers walked in the building that he was going to be something special. And each week that passes by, he proves that.

Since midseason, he was on pace to finish among the most elite tight ends in NFL history and has been setting new career-highs and re-writing the franchise record books seemingly every week since then.

Busters for Raiders Week 13 heartbreaker vs Chiefs

How it started out poorly and then went wrong in the end for the Raiders in their week 13 matchup with the Chiefs.

A valiant effort by the Raiders, but alas they were unable to come away from Arrowhead with a W. This is where I am looking for why that may be.

Busters

S Isaiah Pola-Mao, CB DeCamerion Richardson, CB Jack Jones

Let’s talk about how the Raiders found themselves in a 16-3 hole in the first place.

The second play of the game, Richardson gave up a 14-yard catch. Later Jones was flagged for pass interference to put the Chiefs in field goal range.

The next drive me gave up a catch and missed the tackle for a ten-yard gain. And. few plays later, Pola-Mao gave up the longest catch to that point of 24 yards to put the Chiefs in field goal range.

The first Chiefs’ touchdown, Pola-Mao was out of position to give up a wide open 27-yard catch to the tight end — a new long for the game. That catch put them in scoring range in one play. But it was Jones who would give up the touchdown catch from six yards out.

And on the next drive, Jones it on the double move and Pola-Mao was late getting over to give up *another* 24-yard catch to midfield.

The first drive of the third quarter, Richardson gave up an 11-yard catch to make for an easier field goal to make it a 13-3 Chiefs lead. And then on the next drive, in third and ten, he allowed a 30-yard catch to put them in field goal range again. And there you have that 16-3 lead.

After the Raiders scored two quick touchdowns to take the lead, the Chiefs drove right down to take a back. They did so in part because Jones gave up a a 15-yard catch on second and 20 and on third and five Pola-Mao was late helping again to give up a 19-yard catch to put the Chiefs in first and goal.

LT Kolton Miller, RT DJ Glaze

There were several opportunities for the Raiders to close that 16-3 well before they actually did it. In the second quarter a drive began with a two runs for 28 yards. But it ended three plays later with Glaze giving up a sack.

The first drive of the third quarter began with a 12-yard run and a 25-yard catch and run to put the Raiders in field goal range. But when they went for it on 4th and one, Miller gave up the run stuff for no gain for the turnover on downs.

The next drive, the Raiders got as far as the KC 22-yard line off a crazy Brock Bowers one-handed grab. Then Miller gave up the sack for a 15-yard loss and Daniel Carlson missed the 55-yard field goal attempt wide left.

Miller was called for holding on the next Raiders drive which threatened to spoil a 69-yard return. But this time a long TD pass from O’Connell to Bowers dug them out of it.

After the Chiefs re-took the lead in the fourth quarter, the Raiders picked up a first down, but got no further when Glaze gave up pressure on third and nine, leading to an incompletion and a punt.

HC Antonio Pierce

Aidan O’Connell took the blame for the errant snap on the final play. And, yeah, it was his fault. He was clapping to hurry things up and right guard Dylan Parham took that to mean he wanted the ball snapped, so he tapped Jackson Powers-Johnson’s leg to get him to snap it. But here’s my bigger issue — they never should’ve been in that situation in the first place.

There was too much to lose and not enough to gain from calling that play. He shouldn’t have been in shotgun. He probably shouldn’t have been running a play at all. They were in field goal range with 11 seconds left. That should be the game winner. And instead the team was a panicky, discombobulated mess.

Even if there hadn’t been a botched snap, there would’ve been an illegal shift penalty that wiped out whatever they did and backed them up because they weren’t set when the ball was snapped. They simply have to be more poised in crucial moments like that. Or they shouldn’t be put in that position in a hostile environment like that.

We should be talking about *another* huge come-from-behind, improbable victory in KC. But instead we’re talking about a massive missed opportunity.

See the Ballers.

Why Antonio Pierce called the Raiders the worst team in football

This needs some context.

Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce found a very unusual way to describe his team ahead of its Friday afternoon game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

During media availability on Wednesday, he called his Raiders “the worst team in football.” Wait, what?

Here’s the full quote for context: “Let’s call a spade a spade, right, the best team in football against the worst team in football. Let’s change the narrative, alright? Let’s go out there and make it a dogfight. Let’s make it ugly. Let’s make it scrappy.

“It’s Black Friday. Let’s create a little chaos. Let’s get back to Raider football and have some fun and some personality and let it loose.”

While that phrasing might make Las Vegas fans do a double-take ahead of Friday’s game, Pierce pretty clearly seems to be pointing out a public narrative that his team is the worst in the NFL since it is 2-9.

Pierce doesn’t at all seem to be insulting the Raiders as being the worst in football as much as he’s accepting that the tepid public expectations for his team in Friday’s game against quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

Rather than saying his team stinks, Pierce clearly seems to be saying that he’s hoping his team can change some minds about that notion.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1371]

Antonio Pierce says Raiders-Chiefs is ‘best team in football against worst team in football’

Antonio Pierce was honest to a fault about his Raiders

Antonio Pierce is trying to motivate his Las Vegas Raiders before they play the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday.

The head coach said on Wednesday, “Let’s call a spade a spade. It’s the best team in football against the worst team in football.”

Pierce continued to say this was a chance to change the narrative as the Raiders have struggled to a 2-9 record.

Pierce will go with Aidan O’Connell at quarterback. O’Connell was the starter last year when the Raiders beat the Chiefs in an upset.

The Athletic: Raiders coach Antonio Pierce ‘unlikely’ to return in 2025

Raiders coach Antonio Pierce has yet to finish his first full season on the job, but The Athletic says his tenure could end soon.

Needless to say, this season hasn’t gone as the Raiders planned. After a 2-2 start, superstar wide receiver Davante Adams requested a trade and the team hasn’t won a game since, losing its sixth straight on Sunday against the Dolphins.

Adams plays for the Jets now, and injuries are piling up on the Las Vegas defense. As a result, coach Antonio Pierce is struggling to field a competitive team on game day.

Or is Pierce simply the wrong man to lead the Raiders? Could team owner Mark Davis move on from Pierce after hiring him as full-time coach less than a year ago?

According to The Athletic’s Josh Kendall, it seems “unlikely” that Davis will bring Pierce back next season, citing the presence of minority owner and NFL great Tom Brady. Kendall listed the Raiders No. 29 in his latest NFL power rankings and said Pierce’s seat is already hot.

Antonio Pierce is 7-12 in two seasons after the Raiders got blown out by Miami on Sunday. They have bounced back and forth between quarterbacks all year long and never felt like a threat in the AFC West or anywhere else. Jakobi Meyers was Las Vegas’ leading rusher Sunday with one carry for 20 yards. At least there’s Brock Bowers, who had 13 catches for 126 yards against the Dolphins. With new minority owner Tom Brady in the building, it seems unlikely majority owner Mark Davis will stand pat with Pierce as head coach.

Pierce’s fate likely rests in his team’s performance over the final seven weeks of the season. As Kendall notes, poor quarterback play has held the team back all year, so it will be tough for Pierce and the Raiders to finish strong.

If the Raiders continue to lose by large margins, Pierce could definitely be gone at the end of the season. But as long as the team shows improvement, even minor improvement, Pierce will likely return. The offense looked improved under new offensive coordinator Scott Turner, and that bodes well for Pierce.

Davis knew Pierce was light on experience when he hired him, and I don’t think he’ll be quick to hand Pierce his walking papers, even if Brady disagrees. Davis stated he wants Brady to find him a quarterback, not make decisions normally left to the majority owner. So I think it’s likely Pierce, who was hand-picked by Davis, will remain the Raiders coach.

Pierce’s fate is anyone’s guess, however, so Kendall could be correct. We’ll see how it plays out after this frustrating campaign in Las Vegas comes to a close.

Antonio Pierce: ‘I don’t see anybody quitting’ after Raiders’ 6th straight loss

The Raiders lost their sixth straight game on Sunday but coach Antonio Pierce says he ‘doesn’t see anybody quitting’ on the season.

Owning a 2-8 record after their sixth-straight loss, the Raiders’ season is cooked. There will be no playoffs, and there’s little reason to believe they’ll win more than one or two more games before the campaign officially ends.

But first-year coach Antonio Pierce still has a job to do. Primarily, he has to make sure his players display professionalism and fight hard to win on game day. After Las Vegas’ latest loss to the Dolphins on Sunday, he said he hasn’t seen any quitters on his roster or anywhere else for that matter.

“What I’m seeing from our players, I don’t see anybody quitting,” Pierce told reporters on Monday. “I don’t see anybody quitting in this building; I don’t see no quit from our staff; I see everybody just trying to figure out ways and answers in a very fluid situation with injuries and everything else that’s going on with our team this year.”

As Pierce alluded to, the Raiders defense has been devastated by injuries, including on Sunday in Miami when depth in the secondary was tested and ultimately failed. When Pierce mentioned “everything else” he was likely talking about the Davante Adams trade a few weeks ago.

Regardless of what Pierce sees from his players and staff, the next few weeks will test the team’s perseverance. The Raiders will face AFC West rivals in their next two games: first against the Broncos and then against the Chiefs in a nationally televised game. Rivalry games could help Pierce motivate his squad, much as he did during his run as interim coach last year.

But if Las Vegas loses in blowout fashion down the stretch, it will be a bad look for Pierce. Even if nobody is quitting, all players and staff simply have to be better to finish this lost season on a positive note as Pierce envisions.

Raiders still living week-to-week at QB heading into Week 12

While Antonio Pierce named Gardner Minshew the starter for week 12 vs the Broncos, he wouldn’t commit to anything past that.

As the Raiders head for their week 12 matchup with the Broncos, they are sticking with Gardner Minshew. And past that, who really knows.

Monday head coach Antonio Pierce was asked if he believes Gardner Minshew is the best option at quarterback for the team moving forward, he chose his words carefully.

“He’ll be the quarterback this week,” said Pierce.

That’s something, at least, considering several times this season Pierce was completely non-committal on Monday as to who the team would start the following week. And one of those times, he switched quarterbacks with Minshew being benched. It was only because of the injury to Aidan O’Connell that Minshew regained his starting job.

The competition now is between Minshew and Desmond Ridder who the team signed off the Cardinals practice squad a few weeks ago. Minshew was benched midway through the game in Cincinnati in favor of Ridder only to have Minshew return to the starting lineup out of the bye week and with a shakeup on the offensive staff.

Raiders’ Antonio Pierce says Dolphins remind him of legendary offense

Raiders coach Antonio Pierce says one of the most prolific offenses in NFL history comes to mind when he watches the Dolphins.

The Miami Dolphins offense is loaded with talent, but has underachieved for much of the 2024 season. After leading the NFL in offensive yardage a year ago, the Dolphins rank 20th in yards this season and 30th in points scored.

Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce remains impressed with Miami’s offensive skill players, though. So much so, that he thinks the Dolphins offense is reminiscent of one of the greatest groups in NFL history: The Greatest Show on Turf.

“The Rams. On the turf,” Pierce said Friday when asked what offense comes to mind when he watches the Dolphins. “When they were rolling with Kurt Warner and [Torry] Holt and [Isaac] Bruce and Marshall Faulk. Even later on down the road, didn’t even matter if it was on grass, they were fast. Like it was on you right now. The speed is legit. You can’t mimic it. We’re doing the best we can in practice.

“But the good part about it like I said, we went against these guys last year and really felt the speed of [Tyreek] Hill and [Jaylen] Waddle and those guys over there. So we understand that, and we respect it. But at the at the end of the day, with speed you have put hands on them, right? Physicality needs to show up.”

The St. Louis Rams earned the Greatest Show on Turf nickname when they led the NFL in both scoring and offensive yardage for three consecutive seasons between 1999 and 2001. Warner, Faulk, and Bruce are all Hall of Famers and Holt has been a finalist for induction in each of the last five years.

Miami’s offense has proven capable of making big plays and putting up big numbers, but a comparison to the turn-of-the-century Rams may be praise that’s a little too lofty.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]