Tag: Raiders news

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.

5 Raiders who will attempt to fill shoes of Maxx Crosby and other missing starters vs Browns

Some players are simply not replaceable. Maxx Crosby and Davante Adams are two such players. But the Raiders are in the position right now where they have no choice but to try and replace their roles in the lineup because both stars are OUT for …

Some players are simply not replaceable. Maxx Crosby and Davante Adams are two such players. But the Raiders are in the position right now where they have no choice but to try and replace their roles in the lineup because both stars are OUT for Sunday’s game against the Browns.

Here are the players who will be asked to step up in the absence of the missing Raiders starters.

Replacing: Davante Adams (hamstring)

When the Raiders want to make a play downfield, they usually look to either Davante Adams or Tre Tucker. The two are very different kinds of receivers, but in their own ways are capable of being a deep threat for this team. Tucker does it with pure speed. Adams does it was route running and savvy.

It doesn’t matter how it happens, it just has to happen. Or at least the threat of it must be there. Tucker has been the third receiver on this team all season, behind Adams and Jakobi Meyers. Now Tucker will step up and start on the outside, attempting to fill the void left by Adams’s absence.

Stepping up to fill the shoes of Tucker in the slot will be DJ Turner.

Replacing: Michael Mayer (personal)

Mayer has been a co-starter this season along with rookie Brock Bowers. He’s also been the primary blocking tight end. Harrison Bryant has been the third tight end on this team this season, though he’s only played 14 snaps on offense. The former Browns tight end was a priority free agent signing this offseason, and initially was expected to be the team’s number two tight end. That was until they had Brock Bowers fall into their lap in the draft and the team made other plans.

Replacing: Thayer Munford (knee/ankle)

Munford was lost on the second snap of last Sunday’s game and didn’t return. Coming in for him was DJ Glaze. The third round rookie had impressed in camp and was considered a viable option to step in at right tackle right away. And just two games into the season, that’s what he was asked to do. He played well in his debut last Sunday. He will be asked to do it again.

Replacing: Maxx Crosby (ankle)

Replacing might not be the right word here. No one is replacing Crosby on this team. He is the heart, soul, and motor of this Raiders defense. We saw that last week when his ankle had him not quite himself and missing quite a few snaps. As a result, Andy Dalton had a field day and the Raiders gave up 36 points to the Panthers.

Wilson’s 34 snaps (46%) was second among edge rushers as they mixed it up with Janarius Robinson, Charles Snowden, and Amari Gainer all getting a fair amount of snaps as well. The only edge rusher who was in the game on each of the 13 snaps Crosby missed was Wilson. Expect him to lead the edge rushers in snaps in this game with a healthy rotation to keep everyone fresh. I would also expect to see practice squad DE K’Lavon Chaisson activated and in that rotation.

Replacing: Divine Deablo (oblique)

Masterson started last Sunday’s game in place of Deablo as well. So, expect that to continue. The Raiders have a lot of linebackers on this team, but it’s really a matter of quantity more than quality. Most are relegated to special teams. The only ones who saw snaps last week other than the starters were Amari Gainer (10 snaps) and Tommy Eichenberg (five snaps).

Eichenberg is considered a middle linebacker, but with Robert Spillane playing every snap, the rookie was asked to play outside linebacker for his five snaps in the game. And Gainer spent all ten of his snaps lined up at edge rusher.

Key things to know about Chargers’ Week 1 opponent: Raiders

Here are some important things to know about the Raiders ahead of the Week 1 matchup with the Chargers.

The Chargers will open up the 2024 regular season at SoFi Stadium against the Raiders on Sunday, Sept. 8 at 1:05 p.m. PT.

To get you prepped for the Week 1 bout, here are five key things to know about Los Angeles’ opponent ahead of the matchup.

Got the promotion

After the 2023 season, the Raiders removed the interim tag from Antonio Pierce’s title and promoted him to full-time head coach. Pierce served as Las Vegas’ linebackers coach before taking on the interim role after former head coach Josh McDaniels was fired. He led them to a 5-4 record.

The man under center

The Raiders had a quarterback battle during the summer between Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell, and Minshew prevailed. This offseason, Minshew signed a two-year, $25 million contract, marking the fourth team he’s played on. Over five seasons with the Jaguars, Eagles and Colts, Minshew has started 37 games, posting a 15-22 record. He has faced the Chargers twice in his career and is 0-2 against them.

Big fish landed

Former Chargers general manager and current Raiders GM Tom Telesco’s biggest offseason move was acquiring Christian Wilkins. Wilkins, the top defensive tackle on the market, signed to a four-year, $110 million contract. Wilkins is coming off a season in which he amassed career highs in sacks (nine), quarterback pressures (61), and quarterback hits (23). Along with being a prolific interior pass rusher, he’s just as impactful against the run.

Other offseason additions

Telesco’s other moves in the offseason came mainly on the offensive side of the ball, with running back Alexander Mattison, guard Cody Whitehair and rookie tight end Brock Bowers. Center Andre James re-signed to a two-year deal. They will all be key pieces for Luke Getsy, who will enter his first season as Raiders offensive coordinator. Getsy previously served in the same role for the Bears.

Look out for…

Edge rusher Maxx Crosby. Crosby has asserted himself as one of the top defensive players in the league. He finished last season with a career-high 14.5 sacks. Rookie offensive tackle Joe Alt should get a heavy dose of Crosby this game, so it will be interesting to see how he fares.

5 takeaways from Raiders 53-man roster

We have the Raiders initial 53-man roster. And with it there are some interesting observations. Let’s look into a few of those which stood out to me.

We have the Raiders initial 53-man roster. And with it there are some interesting observations. Let’s look into a few of those which stood out to me.

Some teams have opted to carry three quarterbacks on the roster. Others have gone with just two, essentially placing their third quarterback on the practice squad. The Raiders chose the latter. Most likely they will bring back either Carter Bradley or Nathan Peterman to be that third QB. But if another QB comes available they like, who knows.

Kristian Wilkerson seemed like a shoo-in to make the Raiders roster. But he and Jalen Guyton were both cut in favor of a couple young players who showed a lot of potential. Tyreik McAllister showed elite speed and kick return abilities while undrafted rookie Ramel Keyton showed great skills and length as a receiver. We will wait to see if they are both still on the roster after whomever the Raiders add off waivers, but they are here now over Wilkerson and Guyton, and that says a lot.

Nine offensive linemen are on the Raiders squad. Almost all of them play multiple positions. Cody Whitehair, Jackson Powers-Johnson, and Dyland Parham can all play both center and guard. Andrus Peat can play guard and tackle. And Thayer Munford and DJ Glaze can play either tackle spot in a pinch.

Seven linebackers is a lot. Like a LOT lot. Mainly because we aren’t in the age of a middle linebacker and two outside linebackers any more. In most cases there will be just two linebackers on the field at any given time. So, at most five linebackers is needed. My hunch is one or two of them will be headed for IR with designation to return and perhaps one waived with the hope for a return to the practice squad. If it’s IR, then Tommy Eichenberg and/or Amari Burney would be the likely candidates as both got banged up this preseason.

Did I mention there are SEVEN linebackers? That will not stay that way. See the above for how that could go down. There’s also five defensive tackles and six cornerbacks despite Antonio Pierce’s displeasure with the preseason performances by the depth at both positions.

The two DT’s who made it on the end of the roster are last year’s draft picks Byron Young and Nesta Jade Silvera. Likewise both rookie cornerbacks made it along with Brandon Facyson who can’t seem to get healthy, making for another candidate for temporary IR.

So, you can see several positions that could see moves made as the team welcomes a few waiver claims.

10 veterans and returning Raiders firmly on roster bubble

There are a lot of new faces in Raiders camp this year. And with new faces comes new competition to beat out familiar faces. Likewise there are a few veteran players on this team who could see their jobs taken by new blood. These are the ten …

There are a lot of new faces in Raiders camp this year. And with new faces comes new competition to beat out familiar faces. Likewise there are a few veteran players on this team who could see their jobs taken by new blood.

These are the ten returning Raiders and veterans most in danger of being on the outside looking in come roster cutdown day.

This eight-year veteran backup is only here because he’s familiar with Luke Getsy’s system. That only goes so far though. The team could very decide to keep only two quarterbacks on the active roster. And it wouldn’t take much for a more intriguing option to come available on the waiver wire.

Along with being injured through most of camp, this sixth year veteran just hasn’t looked special in his time on the field. Other than Tom Telesco knowing him from their time with the Chargers, Guyton doesn’t really offer anything invaluable to the team. They could be better off taking a chance on Tyreik McAllister or snagging a talented receiver on the waiver wire.

This sixth-year veteran appeared in one game for the Raiders last season. The Raiders would have to, first of all, keep four tight ends for him to stick. And second of all, he’d have to prove he is the best choice. And quite frankly Cole Fotheringham has looked better.

Meredith has been with the Raiders the past two seasons and appeared in 17 games last season. There is eight offensive lineman ahead of him, all of whom have a very good chance of making this roster. He is the one who will be sweating it out on Tuesday and probably Wednesday as well.

He appeared in just six games as a rookie, with no starts. Not exactly what you hope to get from a third round pick. He has admitted he had an attitude problem, which is commendable. But his level of play has not offered any indication that he has made a second year leap. He was on the field a lot in the finale, after which head coach Antonio Pierce was not at all pleased with the play of the interior line.

Nesta Jade Silvera was also in that 2023 class. He was selected in the seventh round. He was also on that line that was getting gashed on the ground against the 49ers. There has been an opening for someone to step up and be the fourth interior defensive lineman. Has he shown he can be that guy? I’m not sure he has.

Is it possible the Raiders could cut all three of these former drafted defensive tackles? Sure it is. Antonio Pierce made it clear that he will be looking to the waiver to try and improve the depth along the interior defensive line. There is a chance one of these three sticks on the initial 53, but it’s just as likely that will be a short stay in favor of a waiver claim.

This 2023 sixth round pick looked good at times this preseason. But he hasn’t been able to stay healthy. Meanwhile undrated rookie Amari Gainer has looked great. If Burney doesn’t head for injured reserve, he may just lose out to Gainer.

Speaking of guys who can’t stay healthy. Facyson missed almost the entire 2023 season and now he’s been missing since early in camp. If the best ability is availability, the Raiders can’t hang onto him in the hopes that he can get healthy and stay that way. Either he heads to IR, or they give up on him and move on.

Smith has a fairly good chance of sticking around. But he’s down the depth chart far enough that he is in some danger here. The Raiders selected the Jim Thorpe Award winner Trey Taylor in this past draft, so you’d figure they’d like to hold onto him, making Smith potentially the fifth safety, providing they keep that many safeties on the initial 53.

See my full Raiders 53-man roster prediction

Raiders 53-man roster prediction ahead of cutdown date

Preseason has wrapped up and the cutdown date is just days away. Before that happens, though, let’s get one final prediction out there.

Preseason has wrapped up and the cutdown date is just days away. Before that happens, though, let’s get one final prediction out there.

IN: Gardner Minshew, Aidan O’Connell

OUT: Nathan Peterman, Carter Bradley

IN: Zamir White, Alexander Mattison, Dylan Laube, Ameer Abdullah

OUT: Sincere McCormick, Brittain Brown

IN: Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker, DJ Turner, Kristian Wilkerson, Tyreik McAllister

OUT: Jalen Guyton, Alex Bachman, Terrell Bynum, Ramel Keyton, Tulu Griffin

IN: Brock Bowers, Michael Mayer, Harrison Bryant, Cole Fotheringham

OUT: Zach Gentry, John Samuel Schenker

IN: Kolton Miller, Jackson Powers-Johnson, Andre James, Dylan Parham, Thayer Munford, Andrus Peat, Cody Whitehair, DJ Glaze, Jordan Meredith

OUT: Jalen McKenzie, Andrew Coker, Ben Brown, Will Putnam, Clark Barrington, Dalton Wagner, Cotey Luciano

IN: Christian Wilkins, John Jenkins, Adam Butler, Nesta Jade Silvera

OUT: Byron Young, Matthew Butler, Marquan McCall, Noah Shannon

IN: Maxx Crosby, Malcolm Koonce, Tyree Wilson, Janarius Robinson, Charles Snowden

OUT: Ron Stone Jr, TJ Franklin, David Agoha, Elerson Smith

IN: Robert Spillane, Divine Deablo, Luke Masterson, Tommy Eichenberg, Amari Gainer

OUT: Kana’i Mauga, Amari Burney, Fred Thompkins

IN: Jack Jones, Jakorian Bennett, Nate Hobbs, Brandon Facyson, Decamerion Richardson, MJ Devonshire

OUT: Woo Governor, Rayshad Williams, Cornell Armstrong, Ja’Quann Sheppard, Sam Webb

IN: Marcus Epps, Tre’von Moehrig, Isaiah Pola-Mao, Christopher Smith II, Trey Taylor

OUT: Jaydon Grant, Phalen Sanford, Tyreque Jones

Raiders winners and losers in 24-24 preseason tie vs. 49ers

The Raiders closed the preseason with a tie, even though Las Vegas played its reserves against 49ers starters. Who stood out the most?

The Raiders preseason finally came to a close on Friday night in a 24-24 tie against the 49ers in Las Vegas, as coach Antonio Pierce sat his starters while the 49ers played many of their stars, including quarterback Brock Purdy. Still, the Raiders’ reserves held their own, especially on defense.

The Las Vegas offense was without its top two quarterbacks and struggled early, but the Raiders’ special teams had a big day. Tyreik McAllister took an 81-yard punt return to the house for the Raiders’ first score of the night, and he added a touchdown catch later in the game for good measure.

McAllister was easily the biggest winner of the night. Here are the rest of the players who stood out this week, for better or worse.

Winner: DE Janarius Robinson

Before we get to McAllister’s big day, defensive end Janarious Robinson deserves his due. He had a tackle for loss on the 49ers’ first drive, helping the Raiders hold the San Francisco starting offense to a field goal.

Robinson led a strong pass rush for Las Vegas and pressured Purdy into a second-quarter interception. He was a lock to make the roster coming into this game and his pass-rush ability provides key depth up front.

Winner: WR Tyreik McAllister

The Raiders have been looking for depth at wide receiver and McAllister made a statement on Friday night. A former star in the Canadian Football League, McAllister scored the Raiders first points of the night on an 81-yard punt return.

His touchdown catch was equally impressive, perhaps even more so. He made an athletic adjustment on a throw by QB Carter Bradley.

It’s hard to say whether McAllister will make the Raiders’ final cut. But his chances are certainly much higher after this performance.

Winner: DBs Sam Webb and Chris Smith II

The Raiders reserves had the last laugh against Purdy, who made his share of splash plays. On Purdy’s final snap of the game, pressure from Robinson forced a throw into tight coverage by Raiders cornerback Sam Webb. Webb tipped the ball in the air, and safety Chris Smith II was in perfect position to intercept the ball.

Winner: LB Amari Gainer

Linebacker Amari Gainer made his case to remain a Raider with his play on defense and special teams. He recorded an impressive special teams tackle early in the game and finished with more than 10 tackles on defense, including two tackles for loss. He had a late penalty for a hit to the head, but that hardly put a damper on his day.

Winner: WR Kristian Wilkerson

Though he didn’t have the day McAllister did, WR Kristian Wilkerson gave the Raiders brass more to think about on cut-down day with his touchdown grab from quarterback Nathan Peterman.

Loser: RB Dylan Laube

Rookie running back Dylan Laube got the starting nod on Friday and appeared primed for his breakout moment. For a minute, he did break out. But after several impressive plays, he was belted by a 49ers defender after a nice catch and run. He fumbled the football and didn’t see action at running back for the rest of the game.

Laube still got some touches on special teams, which probably helped sustain his confidence. He’ll need it if he wants to contribute to the Raiders offense this season.

Loser: WR Jalen Guyton

Wide receiver Jalen Guyton had to make an impact on Friday to make the roster, and while he had some key catches on the Raiders’ touchdown drive to close the first half, he was outdone by McAllister and Wilkerson.

This game was a reversal from the Raiders’ loss against the Cowboys last week when Las Vegas starters faced Dallas backups. The Raiders reserves responded, and now it’s time for coach Pierce and crew to shape their final roster. Soon enough, we’ll see what this Raiders team is really made of when they face the Chargers in Week 1.

5 Raiders Defensive Players to watch in Preseason finale vs 49ers

There are still some roster spots to be won, impressions to be made, and playing time to be earned. Each of these players will be out to make their presence felt on defense Friday night.

There are still some roster spots to be won, impressions to be made, and playing time to be earned. Each of these players will be out to make their presence felt on defense Friday night.

Jade Silvera has been behind Byron Young on the depth chart through the past two weeks. But when given the chance, Jade Silvera has looked better than Young. If he outshines Young again, it’s possible he could start taking snaps from Young, and possibly overtake him on the depth chart come the season.

Speaking of players passing up higher drafted players…The former fourth round defensive end has looked considerably better than Raiders second year former number four overall pick Tyree Wilson. At this point, Wilson only has his top pick potential getting him reps. But that only goes so far when a team has to think about which player gives them the best chance of getting to the quarterback when called upon.

Gainer is trying to get on this roster and has had an uphill battle to do it. He had a great preseason opener and didn’t do much in last week’s home opener against the Cowboys. Best two out of three?

With Brandon Facyson once again struggling to get healthy, this fourth round rookie could be the next man up after the three starters. They like his length, but is he ready to go should one of the starters go down? Or to be a dime back?

5 Raiders Offensive Players to watch in Preseason finale vs 49ers

The final preseason game will be the battle of those trying to fight their way up the depth chart and fight their way onto the roster. In that spirit, keep an eye on these five players on the offensive side of the ball.

The final preseason game will be the battle of those trying to fight their way up the depth chart and fight their way onto the roster. In that spirit, keep an eye on these five players on the offensive side of the ball.

A few years ago, Peterman was that player on the Raiders who they just couldn’t quit. He spent nearly four years with the team as the most non-threatening backup ever. Just the way Derek Carr needed him to be. Hence why he joined Carr with the Saints this past offseason. But even they ended up releasing him.

Now he’s back, reuniting with Luke Getsy who was his OC in Chicago for two seasons. Could be see Peterman take the field to start this game? It’s possible. If Getsy thinks Peterman has acclimated to the team enough over the past couple weeks since he arrived. And, more importantly, has Peterman improved at all since the last we saw him suit up for the Raiders?

The rookie back has yet to live up to the training camp hype with his preseason play. Often times players step up in the games after not showing much in practice. Antonio Pierce has said that won’t impress him much. But you’d have to figure the other must be true as well. He needs to show up in the preseason too. Not just against his teammates when they’re no allowed to tackle him to the ground.

Turner has been turning heads in both practice and in games. Every play he makes, he earns more and more confidence that he can be a serious weapon in this offense as well as on special teams.

The former Chargers speedster came over because he played under Tom Telesco for four seasons. But he hasn’t shown much. First he was injured through much of camp and now he just hasn’t stood out. He needs to do something in this game if he wants to get off the roster bubble.

This could be the longest look we have gotten so far of Glaze at right tackle. Despite looking good in camp, it has continued to be Thayer Munford who has taken the field as the team’s starter through the first two preseason games.

Raiders 53-man roster prediction after first preseason game

Preseason has begun. The Raiders wrapped up the remote part of training camp, and after a trip to Minnesota to face the Vikings to open the preseason, they are back in Las Vegas to prepare for the final two preseason matchups. With two weeks of camp …

Preseason has begun. The Raiders wrapped up the remote part of training camp, and after a trip to Minnesota to face the Vikings to open the preseason, they are back in Las Vegas to prepare for the final two preseason matchups.

With two weeks of camp practices and the first preseason game, let’s update that 53-man roster prediction, shall we.

IN: Gardner Minshew, Aidan O’Connell

OUT: Anthony Brown, Carter Bradley

IN: Zamir White, Alexander Mattison, Dylan Laube, Ameer Abdullah

OUT: Sincere McCormick, Brittain Brown

IN: Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, Tre Tucker, Kristian Wilkerson, DJ Turner, Jalen Guyton

OUT: Alex Bachman, Keelan Doss, Terrell Bynum, Jeff Foreman, Ramel Keyton, Tyreik McAllister, Tulu Griffin

IN: Brock Bowers, Michael Mayer, Harrison Bryant, Zach Gentry

OUT: John Samuel Schenker, Cole Fotheringham

IN: Kolton Miller, Jackson Powers-Johnson, Andre James, Dylan Parham, Thayer Munford, Andrus Peat, Cody Whitehair, DJ Glaze, Jordan Meredith

OUT: Jalen McKenzie, Andrew Coker, Ben Brown, Will Putnam, Clark Barrington, Dalton Wagner, Cotey Luciano

IN: Christian Wilkins, John Jenkins, Adam Butler, Byron Young, Nesta Jade Silvera

OUT: Matthew Butler, Marquan McCall, Noah Shannon

IN: Maxx Crosby, Malcolm Koonce, Tyree Wilson, Jenarious Robinson

OUT: Ron Stone Jr, TJ Franklin, Charles Snowden, David Agoha, Elerson Smith

IN: Robert Spillane, Divine Deablo, Luke Masterson, Tommy Eichenberg, Amari Burney

OUT: Kana’i Mauga, Amari Gainer, Fred Thompkins

IN: Jack Jones, Jakorian Bennett, Nate Hobbs, Brandon Facyson, Decamerion Richardson, MJ Devonshire

OUT: Woo Governor, Rayshad Williams, Cornell Armstrong, Ja’Quann Sheppard, Sam Webb

IN: Marcus Epps, Tre’von Moehrig, Isaiah Pola-Mao, Christopher Smith II, Trey Taylor

OUT: Jaydon Grant, Phalen Sanford, Tyreque Jones