The day is October 11, 2021. Jon Gruden steps down as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders because his emails leaked. The team then promotes special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia to the interim position.
Bisaccia leads Las Vegas to a 10-7 record and a ticket to the AFC Wild Card against Cincinnati, which they lost 26-19.
The logical decision appeared to be hiring Bisaccia as their next coach, but Mark Davis chose a different path.
The Las Vegas Raiders hired the wrong coach and gave up on him after 1.5 seasons
Las Vegas hired Josh McDaniels as their head coach on January 31, 2022. McDaniels was a failed head coach of the Denver Broncos and a long-time offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots.
Las Vegas fired McDaniels after a 9-16 record in one-and-a-half seasons on October 31, 2023. The team then promoted linebackers coach Antonio Pierce to interim head coach.
The team played well in their last nine games, leading Davis to appoint Pierce as their next full-time head coach.
The Raiders went 5-4 in nine games with Antonio Pierce, including 3-1 in the division.
From when Pierce took over through the end of the season, the Raiders led the NFL in fewest points per game allowed (16), recorded the most defensive touchdowns (4), and had the fewest… https://t.co/RvvGqHKap0
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 19, 2024
Here are five reasons the Las Vegas Raiders made the right decision.
Reason 1
First, they had a winning record under Pierce. The team went 5-4 in their last nine games, including a 3-1 record in divisional games, and outscored opponents 206-144.
Reason 2
Second, not only did the defense play better than last year, but they also played better down the stretch.
Las Vegas’ defense in 2022 was one of the worst in the league. They ranked 26th in points, 28th in total yards, 29th in passing, 19th in rushing, 32nd in takeaways, 30th in sacks, and had the 2nd-most penalties.
Their defense struggled in their first eight games. They ranked 23rd in points, 19th in total yards, 10th in passing, 31st in rushing, tied for the 3rd fewest takeaways, 25th in sacks, and had the 6th-fewest penalties.
Their defense improved in their last nine games. They ranked 1st in points, 14th in total yards, 22nd in passing, 8th in rushing, tied for 10th in takeaways, 1st in defensive touchdowns, tied for 3rd in sacks, and had the fewest penalties.
Overall, they ranked 9th in points, 15th in total yards, 12th in passing, 21st in rushing, 20th in takeaways, 2nd in defensive touchdowns, 15th in sacks, and had the fewest penalties in 2023.
Reason 3
Third, he won over the locker room. Players grumbled about McDaniels, and he ended up losing the locker room. Unlike McDaniels, Pierce won the locker room and earned their trust.
Pierce received endorsements from star players, including Davante Adams, Maxx Crosby, Kolton Miller, and Jack Jones.
Adams gave a strong endorsement.
“It’s obviously who I wanted, and he’s my vote. I’ve been vocal about that, and that’s basically how the whole locker room feels, and with good reason. He’s come in and done a great job.
“He’s continued to win us over. It’s not just the comfortable thing, I think having AP here would be good for this organization. He embodies what it means to be a Raider. That mentality, that swag, all the things that he endorses are the things that I believe in. … Definitely [I’m] rooting for him.”
Crosby said he’s a leader of men.
“There’s only 32 [NFL] head coaches in the whole world. So you’ve got to find a leader of men. And when you’ve got one of them in the building currently, I don’t know why you would let them go.”
Miller appreciates that he brought everyone together.
“What AP did was able to bring everyone together and really build a trust between one another. It didn’t matter who went down. We had playmakers, we were able to feed off one another.
“I think being able to keep what we have now and build off it this next offseason will be huge.”
Jones appreciates that he allows you to be yourself:
“He allows us to be us. That’s special. You don’t get that at this level. Allows you to be yourself and play how you want to play and bring yourself to work every day. It makes you love your job.”
Reason 4
Fourth, they don’t have to worry about their star players demanding a trade. There were rumors that Maxx Crosby would have explored a trade if they hadn’t hired Pierce.
Davante Adams was another player who was part of the trade buzz. There were rumors that Adams could wind up with former teammate Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets. Unfortunately for New York, an Adams trade appears to be unlikely.
Reason 5
Fifth, they have plenty of cap space. They currently have around $36 million in cap space. Their cap space will increase once they make the necessary roster moves.
Since they will have a lot of cap space, Las Vegas could be a hot spot for big-name free agents this offseason because Pierce is a player-friendly coach, and players would rather have a player-friendly coach than one that’s old school.
How will the Las Vegas Raiders do in 2024?
The Las Vegas Raiders will have their hands full in the AFC West. The Kansas City Chiefs will always be competitive with Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid. The Los Angeles Chargers will be competitive with Justin Herbert and Jim Harbaugh. Finally, the Denver Broncos could be a challenge with a new quarterback and Sean Payton.
What players will Las Vegas acquire in free agency, and do they stand a chance in the AFC West with Antonio Pierce?
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