It appears that the inmates are running the asylum, so to speak. What’s more, Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis is fine with that. When things are working, just stay out of the way, right?
When you have great players and great coaches, you stay out of their way. For the first time in a long time, Davis finds himself in that situation. After discarding Josh McDaniels, the Raiders rallied around interim coach Antonio Pierce, quickly dispatching New York’s two football teams at Allegiant Stadium. In Week 11, Pierce’s gang of marauders faces one of the better squads in the league—Mike McDaniel’s Miami Dolphins.
Still, despite the challenge that the Dolphins present, things are trending upward. One can’t help but notice the cultural shift that’s taken place in Vegas. Whether it’s lighting up victory cigars or playing inspired football (on both sides of the ball), Pierce has his locker room clicking. Davis, for his part, is reportedly just fine with players taking the reins—figuratively, of course.
As The Athletic’s Diana Russini reported, a source close to the Raiders backs that claim up.
“The players have taken this place over, ownership is fine with it, too.”
Russini went on to comment that Pierce has been accommodating to both the players and the coaching staff. This laissez-faire approach is working. Sure, you could argue that the quality of opponents thus far under Pierce doesn’t scream “elite teams.” Still, the New York Jets fielded one of the more imposing defenses the NFL has seen, and in spite of that fact, the team pulled through.
Nonetheless, if Pierce and the Raiders leave Miami victorious, the conversation about whether Mark Davis has found his coach will get louder.
*Top Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie/USA Today Sports