The Las Vegas Raiders suffered a second-consecutive embarrassing loss to an AFC rival on Sunday, this time dropping a winnable game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at home.
First-year head coach Antonio Pierce is 2-4 this season and things look rough ahead. The offense has failed to click, regardless of who is starting at quarterback. Establishing the run, Pierce's biggest goal for the offense and this team's biggest struggle this season continues to be a problem.
The play-calling was at its most questionable on Sunday, and it signals a much larger issue: this offense has done little to improve this season. Entering Week 7, things could heat up if the issues persist.
The 33rd Team's Marcus Mosher, who is typically kind to the Raiders when he does his weekly NFL power rankings, might have been a little harsh on Pierce in his recent assessment. In his weekly winners and losers list, Mosher included the head coach in the "losers" section.
Not inaccurate, considering Pierce's team lost. However, Mosher wrote that the Raiders should part ways with Pierce and get a new coach for 2025.
"Antonio Pierce becoming the interim head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders last year was one of the NFL's coolest storylines last year," Mosher wrote. "The Raiders played hard for Pierce, and they had some really impressive wins, including beating the Chiefs in Kansas City. But things couldn’t be any more different this season. The Raiders were blown out again by the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have one of the league’s worst offenses. The Raiders had four turnovers on offense (one blocked punt, two fumbles, one interception) and a bunch of key penalties that took points off the board. They look like one of the league’s most undisciplined teams, and the switch to Aidan O’Connell didn’t make the offense look any better.
"Pierce is just throwing things against the wall, and nothing is working at this point. The effort level in the second half was disgusting, and Pierce missed several big decisions, including not challenging a clear touchdown from Ameer Abdullah. The Raiders are now 2-4 after six games and at the bottom of the AFC West. They don’t have a long-term answer at quarterback, and their star receiver is demanding a trade. The Raiders have no identity, and it appears they don’t have an answer at head coach. Pierce has looked lost all season, and his team has regressed every week. Hiring a substitute teacher rarely works, and the Raiders should be on the lookout for a new head coach in 2025."
While this season has largely disappointed thus far, Pierce deserves more time with his system and the coaches he surrounded himself with. However, these are the coaches he chose. If the woes continue, the onus will be on Pierce to make necessary changes.
