All of the experience that was once coveted on the Las Vegas Raiders coaching staff has been null after a disastrous 2-7 start this season. Still, head coach Antonio Pierce is standing by them (unless your name is Luke Getsy).
In retrospect, one could argue that the Raiders locker room would have exerted maximum effort for anyone other than Josh McDaniels during the previous season. But that doesn’t matter now, does it?
The momentum from Pierce’s performance as interim coach carried into the offseason—amid player and fan support, owner Mark Davis removed the interim tag. Upon doing so, Pierce moved quickly to secure his coaching staff; the most notable aspect was the number of former NFL head coaches and coordinators that filled his ranks.
What next steps should the Raiders coaching staff take?
Most fans know the names by now: Marvis Lewis and Joe Philbin, particularly, along with the bevy of other assistants who’ve put in their time in the league, such as Rob Ryan and Mike Caldwell. However, neither side of the ball has met Pierce’s offseason standards despite all this experience.
Yes, there are other factors at play, like key injuries, but let’s be realistic. The team has looked lost for much of the season—so what good is it to have that many “experienced” assistants? Let’s be clear: most of those coaches are no longer leading teams for a reason.
Getsy’s firing aside, Pierce appears to be standing firm with his coaching staff. Speaking to the media this week, Pierce stated that the bye week will provide them with an opportunity to “self-reflect” on their performance. Evidently, he maintains confidence that this group, in its current form, can still make significant progress while acknowledging his own shortcomings (as well as theirs).
“I’ve been leaning on those gentlemen throughout, obviously Marvin Lewis being the lead one, but I have extreme confidence in the coaches that are here that I just met with going forward. And I told them they need to show that going forward throughout the building, right? We got to get back to it.”
Is it time to start over?
Judging from Pierce’s comments, Pierce isn’t wavering on his staff. Ineptitude on offense required him to fire Getsy; he was going to be the patsy, as we all saw. Barring a miraculous turnaround, nothing was going to save Getsy. On the other hand, many fans advocate for the Raiders to overhaul their team (and staff), citing a range of issues from incompetence to a lack of results and everything in between.
Let’s say the Raiders come out flat after their bye week. At that point, is it reasonable to question whether the coaching staff has lost the players?
*Top Photo: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
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