The 2023 NFL season was somewhat of a nightmare for the Las Vegas Raiders. The team brought in a new head coach and general manager with an entirely different philosophy and way of doing things from their time under legendary head coach Bill Belichick with the New England Patriots. Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler tried to implement the “Patriot Way” in Las Vegas, and it didn’t go over well, leading to both men being fired on Halloween.
Even though longtime team owner Mark Davis decided to part ways with McDaniels heading into November, it seemed like the right move and the right time to stop the bleeding, as the struggling head coach had lost the locker room with players no longer buying into a system that wasn’t working.
Then the team made one-time Super Bowl champion Antonio Pierce the interim head coach, who brought a completely different attitude and style to coaching the game, which his players fell in love with quickly, resulting in a happier locker room and many players advocating for him to get the gig heading into the NFL offseason. Although there was some debate about whether the Raiders should go after a big-name option like Jim Harbaugh, the team decided removing the interim tag from Pierce was the right way to go, which went well with the fans and the players in Las Vegas.
Heading into the 2024 NFL season, Raiders legend Marcus Allen was recently asked how he feels about Pierce running the show for the team he played for and supports via Ezekiel Trezevant of Sports Illustrated.
“Well, leadership is really, really important,” Allen said at the Raiders’ Once a Raider, Always a Raider Alumni event. “If you do not have a leader that inspires you to greatness and inspires you to be the best you can possibly be, to exhaust every gift that you have in order to make that happen–all great organizations have great leaders. I think he has the ability to do that.
“He did it in a short time. Now, he’s going to have more time to implement his plans. I think the fire, the spirit, is there. I think he clearly understands the pulse of the team. I think after a year, he’s getting the kind of players that I think he wants to fit his program.”
It seems as though Allen is one of the many current and former players for the Silver and Black that supports Davis’ decision to move forward with Pierce rather than make another flashy move with an outside hire.
Despite the overwhelming support that Pierce has received over the last few months, the first-time head coach will have a lot on his plate as he tries to right the ship for the Raiders and get the best out of his players and coaching staff.
Fortunately for Las Vegas, Pierce is up for the task and is embracing the challenge in the same way he did on the football field playing for the New York Giants. He brings passion, experience, and knowledge of the game, which will certainly help get this storied franchise headed back in the right direction.
Gardner Minshew Wins Starting Job
After a quarterback battle between veteran Gardner Minshew and second-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell throughout training camp and the NFL preseason, Antonio Pierce and his coaching staff have decided to go with the one-time Pro Bowler over the youngster.
It seems as though neither quarterback separated themselves much from each other during this competition, but Minshew did enough to prove he should be the starter moving forward.
