If Las Vegas Raiders interim head coach Antonio Pierce can take care of business against the Kansas City Chiefs, should he be the frontrunner this offseason?
It’s a fair question to ponder as the Raiders are coming off a momentous win. In case you forgot, the team dropped 63 points on Brandon Staley’s Los Angeles Chargers. Coach Pierce turned what might have been a disaster following Week 14 and flipped the script, so to speak. He moved offensive coordinator Bo Hardegree upstairs to get a view of the whole field, and wouldn’t you know it—it cured what was ailing the Raiders.
Now, the truth is likely somewhere in the middle—say, between zero and 63.
Is Antonio Pierce the best bet for the Raiders moving forward?
As it turns out, Pierce could very well do himself a big favor by beating the Chiefs in this upcoming matchup. In fact, The Athletic’s Vic Tafur believes that Antonio Pierce might help owner Mark Davis make up his mind a little sooner than some of us predicted.
While speaking with Raiders figurehead J.T. The Brick, Tafur laid it all out.
“If they can beat the Chiefs somehow, I think he’s got it. You can’t announce it officially because you have to go through the process in the offseason. But if [Pierce] beats the Chiefs, he’s the guy.”
Beating the Chiefs is often era-defining for Raiders coaches; just ask Jon Gruden. However, don’t expect Kansas City to just roll over, even if their playoff ticket is all but punched. What’s interesting is that if the team does indeed beat the Chiefs, does this mean Davis won’t even consider other names such as Jim Harbaugh, a proven winner at the NFL level? These last couple of weeks might end up being interesting after all.
Oh, and the Raiders were the final straw that broke Staley’s back. Needless to say, the coaching file for the AFC West in 2024 will look vastly different.
*Top Photo: Getty Images
Antonio Pierce: The Raiders We’re On “The Right Side Of History” Following Thursday Night
