The Las Vegas Raiders may not have made the playoffs this season, but they got a lot closer than many people thought they would be. The Raiders finished the season 8-9, but how competitive they were in the final weeks of the season can be attributed to interim head coach, Antonio Pierce.
Pierce took over what looked to be a sinking ship ahead of the team’s Week 9 matchup with the New York Giants. Head coach Josh McDaniels had just been fired, along with general manager Dave Zeigler, as ownership was ready to head in a different direction.
Taking over as head coach in the middle of the season is hard enough; doing it as a positional coach with no coordinator experience in the NFL as Pierce was tasked with doing it is a whole different level of difficulty. But, Pierce didn’t make excuses and he got to work right away.
NFL News & Rumors: Maxx Crosby, Antonio Pierce, Las Vegas Raiders Updates
The Raiders responded to him positively, winning their first two games with him as head coach, defeating the Giants and New York Jets. Las Vegas would lose their next three games to the Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings, some in tough fashion.
Against the Dolphins, the entire game was played within a one-score difference. Against the Chiefs, the Raiders held an early 14-0 lead. Their matchup against Minnesota set NFL offenses back a few decades as they lost 3-0.
But, the team responded as well as you could after a heartbreaking defeat like that. On a short week, they decimated the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football, 63-21, which led to them winning three of their last four games in the season.
An 8-9 record may not seem like much, but given where the Raiders were midseason, that is quite an accomplishment. Now, the franchise has a major decision to make when it comes to the head coaching position.
If ownership takes into account what their players want, the interim tag will be removed from Pierce. That is what star defensive end Maxx Crosby wants to see, as he took to social media to throw his support behind Pierce.
NFL News & Rumors: Maxx Crosby, Antonio Pierce, Las Vegas Raiders Updates
Crosby likely isn’t the only Raiders player who would like to see Pierce become the full-time head coach. He did a great job of rallying the team and getting them on track after McDaniels failed to gain traction during his tenure.
The player’s admiration for Pierce is something Mark Davis and the other decision makers will have to take into consideration. Last time they had an interim coach, Rich Bisaccia, they opted to hire McDanieles and that was a disaster. Looking to avoid a repeat situation, Pierce should be a strong candidate for the job.
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