The Las Vegas Raiders rallied around interim head coach Antonio Pierce this past weekend. Against the struggling New York Giants, the Silver and Black posted a dominant, emotional 30-6 victory. Thanks to some timely microphone placement, Pierce’s intensity and leadership were caught on tape several times in Week 9.
Antonio Pierce Immediately Earns Respect From The Raiders Locker Room
After spending nine seasons as a linebacker in the NFL, Pierce has steadily worked his way up the coaching ranks since retiring in 2009. Once the Raiders sent former head coach Josh McDaniels his pink slip on Halloween, one man jumped out as an in-season replacement.
The Compton native spoke at length in his introductory press conference about needing a cultural shift in the locker room. He grew up with the no-nonsense, smash-mouth Raiders — not some half-hearted attempt at building the “Patriot Way” in Las Vegas.
From the moment Pierce took to the podium, it was impossible to ignore his infectious energy. If nothing else, the promise of a revitalized Raiders squad felt like a realistic possibility in the wake of a much-needed coaching change. And on Sunday against the G-Men, the team finally found its true identity.
During pre-game warmups, Pierce was found running around the field, hyping his players up. It was reminiscent of his NFL career, as the Arizona Wildcat product was a focal point of the 2007 Giants championship team; quite fitting that Pierce’s head coaching debut came against his former franchise.
Pierce Was Ready To Take The Field vs. The Giants In His Head Coaching Debut
“Put me in, Coach! Put me in!” Pierce yelled at the top of his lungs before kickoff. At 45 years old and over a decade removed from donning an NFL jersey, maybe this was a bit audacious. But at the same time, Pierce could convince me to run through a brick wall. So, if I was coaching, I might actually put him in! It certainly wouldn’t make the shaky linebacker room any worse…
All joking aside, the new voice of the Raiders echoed throughout Allegiant Stadium all afternoon. Pierce even hit the illustrious “Ric Flair Wooooo” call back, eliciting considerable laughter from linebacker Robert Spillane. The veteran defender couldn’t contain his happiness for the post-McDaniels era, saying he’s never felt that level of pre-game excitement.
After the Raiders scored a touchdown with a savvy Jakobi Meyers jet sweep, Pierce likely mirrored the feelings of Raider Nation as a whole. “F*** yeah! Let’s go! That’s how we do that s***,” the first-time head coach screamed. He then went up and down the sideline congratulating the offense, from Aidan O’Connell to Jakobi Meyers to interim offensive coordinator Bo Hardegree. Everyone got dapped up.
A clutch defensive stop drew the attention of Pierce, as he came running onto the field and celebrated with his players. That type of positive reaction is something the Raiders roster hasn’t witnessed since the Rich Bisaccia days. No matter how you feel about Josh McDaniels as a coach, he has never brought the vocal leadership that Pierce possesses in spades.
That isn’t meant as a hit piece on McDaniels — some people are better with Xs and Os, while others are simply natural-born leaders. From his time in Denver and the past year and a half in Las Vegas, it’s clear that McDaniels failed at connecting with his players. The locker room did not respond to his style of coaching.
The Raiders Have A True Leader Of Men With Antonio Pierce
As for Pierce? A deaf person could hear his passion. It remains to be seen if the interim tag will be removed after the season or if the next general manager will select their “own guy” to serve as head coach. Either way, the Raiders are in good hands for the rest of the 2023 campaign.
The victory celebration, the tone of every player that has been interviewed, and the level of play the team showed on Sunday leads the fan base to wonder one thing. Could another Bisaccia-type run be on the horizon for the Silver and Black? The schedule is tough, and the Giants are easily the worst opponent the rest of the way.
But who cares about that right now? The Raiders are fresh off a dominant win and have a chance to get back to .500 with a victory over the “other” New York squad — the Zach Wilson-led Jets. Emotions can only last so long, however. Let’s see if this rag-tag coaching staff can continue making the McDaniels tenure look even worse.
At least the football is bearable to watch now. The head coach is someone who speaks authentically. That is more than Raider Nation can say about the previous regime. We can all thank Antonio Pierce for the kick in the butt this roster needed.
Here’s to hoping this is merely a footstool on the way to becoming a bonafide contender in the AFC.
*Top Photo: L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal