Could the Raiders stick with Antonio Pierce after a dream coaching debut?
(Credit: Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
It was a dream debut for lifelong fan turned interim head coach, Antonio Pierce.
The Josh McDaniels era has officially been chased out of Vegas, by a desert storm consisting of nineties gangster rap, cigar smoke and a wave of new excitement, unseen in the Raiders locker room for far too long.
Though the Raiders have received some criticism over the excessive celebrations – which followed a 30-6 win over the New York Giants on Sunday – the culture change has warranted it.
After receiving high praise from players, fans and owner Mark Davis, could the Raiders hit on another coach, or will they stick with Pierce?
Pierce restores Raider way in debut win
The Raiders wasted no time adjusting to life post-McDaniels.
They crushed the Giants in week 9, with rookie Aidan O’Connell at the helm – all the while amending many of the issues which had lingered around the team the past season and a half, and fixing problems which a Super Bowl winning offensive coordinator could not.
Josh Jacobs, who has been limited in production after barely returning to the team to begin with this season, rushed for 98 yards and two touchdowns. Defensive leader Maxx Crosby erupted with three sacks, now tallying 9.5 on the season.
Offensively, the Raiders successfully avoided turning over the football – a huge improvement, considering Jimmy Garoppolo led the league with nine interceptions in six games prior to being benched.
Hunter Renfrow, who had been seeking a trade prior to the deadline, contributed two catches for 32 yards.
Hardly worthy of team of the week honours, but equally demonstrating how Pierce has put his side to work, diversifying the offence, and getting the ball to the playmakers – which resulted in the Raiders posting more than 20 points this season.
Admittedly, New York entered into the game at 2-6 and played three quarters with their 3rd string quarterback after Daniel Jones suffered a season ending ACL tear. Nonetheless, the weight of McDaniels has clearly been lifted, and the Raiders looked like a new team in week 9.
Could the Raiders stick with Pierce?
Ron Rivera, Jim Harbaugh, Dan Quinn and Deion Sanders are being named as top candidates for the full-time role in Vegas. Others back Antonio Pierce going forward. While the excitement is intoxicating, winning one game over the struggling Giants will not cut it.
Mark Davis apologised to his players for ‘wasting their season’ following the loss to Detroit, after which McDaniels was dismissed. With playoffs still a possibility, the Raiders have a choice to make, and fast. If Davis truly wishes to salvage the season, and spare himself further embarrassment and financial losses, he must be smart.
For both reasons, Pierce seems to be the answer, even if we’re just a game in.
McDaniels’ stint with the silver and black was ugly; but truthfully, anything else would have been an outlier in Vegas. Since 2012, only one full time hire, Jack Del Rio, and interim coach Rich Bisaccia have had win/loss records above .500. Dennis Allen, Tony Sparano, Jon Gruden and Josh McDaniels all ended their head coaching spells with losing records.
With his debut against the Giants, Pierce became the 12th Raiders coach in 20 seasons – a stat which leads the NFL. Derek Carr himself played for four coaches in 9 seasons with the Raiders, and the same could easily come true for O’Connell.
Thus, Davis must be more cautious when selecting his next head coach. As seen with McDaniels, no amount of coaching experience or success is guaranteed to translate to winning championships in a new city.
The Raiders players had warmed to Rich Bisaccia in his 12 games at the helm, and in hindsight, moving on from him so quickly was the wrong decision. Davis may learn from his past mistakes and stick it out with Pierce – who likewise seems to be an inspiring figure in the facility and on Sunday’s – so long as his record remains positive.
But even if Pierce’s Raiders were to fall short of the playoffs, his ability to bring the locker room together would be important in retaining players such as Davante Adams and Jacobs for the 2024 season – which would also be crucial in attracting a high-profile coach, if and when the time comes.
This move would also be beneficial to Davis, who now owes $85 million to McDaniels and David Ziegler, on top of the cash he still has to pay to Jon Gruden. Playing head coach roulette and plunging the organisation once more into uncertainty could prove costly for Davis.
Either way, it’s a huge gamble for Vegas. But, as long as they stick with Pierce, the Raiders are playing with house money.
