The Las Vegas Raiders are betting on Antonio Pierce to save their 2023 NFL season. However, the question surrounding the interim head coach is whether he’ll get a fair shot at keeping the job permanently. Maxx Crosby hopes he does.
Las Vegas went down this road in 2021 with Rich Bisaccia, who became the interim head coach and took the Silver and Black to the playoffs. Nonetheless, he didn’t get the job, as it went to Josh McDaniels. We all know how that turned out. So, this is an excellent opportunity for owner Mark Davis to learn from a past mistake.
Maxx Crosby backs Antonio Pierce to keep Raiders job
Pierce is off to a good start as interim head coach. The Super Bowl champion secured a 30-6 win over the New York Giants last Sunday, and there are signs of improvement in Las Vegas under Pierce. The running game showed signs of life, with Josh Jacobs running for 98 yards and two touchdowns.
Although the passing game still needs improvements, Crosby believes the squad will have a forward trajectory with Pierce at the helm. As a result, the two-time Pro Bowler wants the former linebacker to get a fair shot at keeping the position, especially if he turns their season around.
“I expect us to continue improving and win more games,” Crosby said recently on the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast. “AP, like I said before, I have a ton of respect for him. Everyone else does. Like I said, we have a lot of work to do. But you know how it was when the whole Rich situation went down. I was public about it. I went to the owner; I went to a lot of people, and I was like, Rich is our guy.
“Everybody was saying Rich is our guy, and we went in a different direction. But I think Mark is definitely going to give AP and [interim general manager] Champ [Kelly] a real opportunity and real chance to earn the job. And it’s a day-by-day process, but we’re off to a good start.”
The 45-year-old will face a New York Jets team with a highly suspect offensive line that Joey Bosa feasted on last Monday, so why can’t Crosby do the same? Furthermore, Zach Wilson remains under center. That alone isn’t exuding confidence. All this is to say, if the Raiders get a win, they’re back at .500 with two straight victories. But more importantly, the entire locker room will have confidence.
Have the Raiders players bought into Antonio Pierce?
Las Vegas has a challenging schedule after the Jets game. They’ll face the Kansas City Chiefs twice and the Miami Dolphins, two teams vying to have the best record in the AFC. Elsewhere on the schedule, other squads like the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Chargers could be battling for a playoff spot.
Las Vegas must pull out wins against contending teams and clinch a playoff spot. Still, if Crosby’s comments shed light on how the Raiders squad is responding to the coaching change, they’re more than up for the task.
“At the end of the day, if I have respect for somebody, if they got respect for the guys and they love football, I’m all in,” Crosby added. “So all I care about is winning and having a great culture in the building, and the rest will take care of itself. So, yeah, I’ll go to war for AP [and] all that.”
The Raiders players have been responding well to the coaching change. Nonetheless, the NFL is all about wins and losses, so Pierce will need to keep putting up wins; now, will it be enough to keep the job? If it’s up to Maxx Crosby, the answer is a resounding yes.
*Top Photo: JOSEPH MAIORANA/USA TODAY SPORTS