The Las Vegas Raiders spoke all offseason about the disrespect they received from the national media. However, just a few short weeks into the season, it appears the doubters were right. The Raiders have routinely looked like one of the worst teams in the league, finding various ways to lose weekly.
Things do not get any easier for the Raiders as three of their next five games are against AFC West opponents, and two of those three games are against the Kansas City Chiefs. Their loss to the Los Angeles Rams was their fourth loss in their last five games.
Raiders coach Antonio Pierce stressed that the Raiders cannot become comfortable with losing.
“Well, we can’t get comfortable with losing,” Pierce said. “That's first and foremost. And just like these guys are in here today, they're out there working out and doing everything they need to do to get themselves ready to play. We got another big game this week. Again, we get paid to play 17 weeks, right?
“So, I don't think we went into the season they would win every game. Didn't expect to lose three in a row, but that's where we're at now. At the end of the day, all we can do is worry about now the Kansas City Chiefs, who we know very well. They're coming in here. It's a divisional game.”
The Raiders' loss to the Rams was a sobering reminder to any who believed the Raiders could turn things around that it is unlikely to happen this season. Still, Pierce emphasized that the Raiders cannot let this season’s shortcomings continue to hold them back mentally or physically. Through seven games, the Raiders have continued to beat themselves with penalties, turnovers and overall bad play. Pierce knows the team must improve.
“And to answer your question directly, you just got to move on,” Pierce said. It's the nature of the beast, right? We got to do better. We got to stop beating ourselves with turnovers, with penalties. When opportunities are there, we have to make them. We're not doing that right now as well, and it's nothing that we like. I'm sure Raider Nation doesn't like, and we got to keep getting better and go to work, just like a lot of teams in National Football League.
“We got to get better, and we can't use no excuses for injuries or this, or that, or quarterback, OC, head coach. We are all involved in this as an organization, as staff, and players. We got to stick together and not really get into the outside noise, and let everybody pick us apart. That's what the whole offseason is about, because I knew at some point we'll get into this dark moment, and it's a dark moment for us right now. We got to get out.”
