After the Las Vegas Raiders defeated the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day, there was no shortage of NFL media members calling for the Silver and Black to permanently give Antonio Pierce the head coaching job. Nonetheless, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler gave an update on this front.
Whether Pierce can get Las Vegas or not, the Super Bowl champion has shown to at least earn a shot at being the head coach and see what he can do for an entire season. So, what’s going on behind the scenes? Will owner Mark Davis make the decision everyone wants?
Antonio Pierce has positioned himself to keep the Raiders job
Fowler recently appeared on SportsCenter and provided the latest regarding the 45-year-old and whether he has done enough to be the Raiders head coach for next season.
“There are a lot of people around the league who believe he has well-positioned himself to potentially get this job full-time,” Fowler said. “Mark Davis, the owner, went through the interim coach a few years ago, Rich Bisaccia. He did well; they didn’t hire him; maybe this is the time.”
According to Fowler, Davis admired the team’s physicality and commended their disciplined play under Pierce’s leadership. Pierce stepped into the interim role in November following the dismissal of head coach Josh McDaniels.
Taking charge of a struggling Raiders squad at 3-5 with underlying cultural challenges, he has since guided them to a 4-3 record, keeping their postseason aspirations alive.
The impressive performances under Antonio Pierce
Pierce’s tenure has seen both peaks and valleys. However, the remarkable displays seem to overshadow the learning curve the former New York Giants linebacker navigated in this role.
Las Vegas suffered a 3-0 defeat against the Minnesota Vikings and faced another challenging match on the road against the Miami Dolphins, resulting in a loss.
Nevertheless, the remarkable 63-point performance against the Los Angeles Chargers and a crucial road victory over the Chiefs may overshadow these setbacks. The Raiders’ defense notably made life difficult for Patrick Mahomes in the latter match.
The Silver and Black’s defensive performance has reached playoff caliber. While it may not secure a playoff berth this season, Pierce should be given an offseason to assemble a coaching team and influence player personnel decisions, aiming to elevate the offense to match the defense.
*Top Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images