Former Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce isn’t shy about sharing his opinion on his former employer. Week 13 gave him more ammunition.
Let’s be honest, no one had the Silver and Black going 2-10 in Pete Carroll’s return to coaching. His previous accolades alone warranted much optimism; the Raiders hadn’t had a Super Bowl-winning head coach in years. Still, things have quickly gotten out of hand. With both his offensive coordinator and special teams boss fired before Week 13 even took place, it would be shocking if the Carroll coaching family survives Year 1, much less a second go-around.
Is Antonio Pierce right about the Raiders?
With that being said, where does that leave Pierce? Say what you want about the former Raiders shot-caller, but one thing you can’t take away is his honesty. Following another blowout loss, this time to the Los Angeles Chargers, Pierce made it clear that at some point, the Raiders must look inward if they’re ever going to fix their problems.
Interestingly, the same problems that undermined Pierce’s only season as head coach have persisted under Carroll. The offense struggled so much that Chip Kelly, labeled as an offensive guru, was dismissed before the Chargers matchup.
After Greg Olson—previously with Jon Gruden—stepped in for Kelly, he also failed to produce results this past Sunday. Pierce pointed this out, remarking, “We didn’t have a good offense. They still don’t have a good offense. The fan base is upset. Are you talking about long seasons? This might take decades to fix.”
Pierce brought up the recurring theme of coaches quickly cycling through the Raiders. “I’m just saying, one and done, one and done, done and done. Is there another coach gone?” he asked. It’s a fair question from the Super Bowl-winning linebacker.
Are these the final days of Carroll at the helm? It’s a ship, with all due respect, that’s clearly sinking.
*Top Photo: Getty Images