The Las Vegas Raiders racked up a franchise-best 63 points in the 63-21 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night. Despite being up 42-0 at halftime, the team didn’t let up, and Maxx Crosby explained why the squad put its foot on the gas.
Although a 42-point lead would be tricky to cough up, Crosby and the squad know what it is like to play well in the second half and lose. The Raiders star edge rusher highlighted losses to the Kansas City Chiefs and Miami Dolphins as examples.
What did Antonio Pierce tell the Raiders at halftime? Maxx Crosby explained…
Crosby appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Friday, and one of the questions that the former Indianapolis Colts punter asked the 25-year-old was what was said at halftime to keep pushing for more points. Up 42 points, any other coach might play it safe to prevent serious injuries.
Even with that, the plan for Antonio Pierce was different, as he wanted the Raiders to keep playing at 100 percent. As a result, it led to an additional 21 points in the second half and the lopsided win, and Crosby revealed what was said in the locker room at halftime.
“His main message was just don’t let off. Keep your foot on the gas,” Crosby told McAfee. “And that was what everyone was preaching because it was 42-0 at half, which is nuts. But at the same time, it was only one-half of football. And for us, even a couple of weeks ago, we played the Chiefs. We’re up 14-0, and then we don’t finish the game well, and we end up losing.
“And then you got the Dolphins game where we lose by a touchdown. And we didn’t finish the game the way we wanted to. So, regardless of the scoreboard, we wanted to just be at our best from start to finish. And I feel like we did that for the most part.”
Antonio Pierce puts a statement win on his coaching candidacy
Although the Raiders have shown some warts under Pierce, the Super Champion has made a strong case for keeping the head coaching job and having an entire season to implement his vision for the team.
Finishing the year on a positive note with players believing in what he’s selling should be enough to get the job and not bring another high-profile name to possibly flop. Now the question is whether owner Mark Davis feels the same.
*Top Photo: Getty Images Pool
