After a disastrous 2-7 start, could Las Vegas’ Antonio Pierce be the next one-and-done head coach?
According to Charles McDonald of Yahoo Sports, since 2018, seven coaches have been fired before the end of their first season. Carolina’s Frank Reich was the last after he went 1-10 in 11 games in 2023.
The Raiders fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy on Sunday night, which isn’t a great sign. In his Monday column, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported there’s “pessimism in that building on the direction of that team right now.”
“Part of the issue to this point, as I’ve heard it, is the way Pierce patched the staff together, rather than making sure there was alignment on both sides of the ball,” Breer wrote. “That led to coaches having to invest time to teach other coaches, which didn’t help with the players.”
Last season, star players, including defensive end Maxx Crosby, vouched for Pierce to land the full-time job after he replaced Josh McDaniels, going 5-4 in nine games.
Now, Pierce — a former New York Giants linebacker — may be losing his ability to connect with the locker room.
Following an embarrassing 36-22 Week 3 home loss to the Panthers (2-7), Pierce called out some of his players, saying they made “business decisions.” He later apologized for his comments.
Pierce was probably trying to motivate the team, but the strategy hasn’t worked. The Raiders have lost five of their last six games, and three have been by 14 points or more.
Several of the Raiders’ problems stem from subpar QB play. Gardner Minshew has more interceptions (eight) than touchdown passes (six) in eight games.
During his Monday news conference, Pierce didn’t clarify if he would stick with Minshew or turn to backup QB Desmond Ridder. Las Vegas QB Aidan O’Connell (right thumb) is on injured reserve.
However, elite HCs can thrive without star QBs. Minnesota’s Kevin O’Connell has guided the Vikings to a 6-2 record with Sam Darnold as his starting QB.
The Raiders must show signs of improvement after their bye. Pierce’s future with the franchise could become more uncertain if they don’t.
