Raiders Highly Respected Coach Got Ruled Out Of Team Due To Unpleasant Comments To Team Members…
After a bye week, the Las Vegas Raiders (5-7) are ready to get back to their winning ways when they take on the Minnesota Vikings (6-6) on Sunday.
Bye weeks don’t usually thrill fans in the latter stages of the season, but the 2023 Las Vegas Raiders have found great success with them.
In this episode of the Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast, we talk about how interim coach Antonio Pierce has given the Silver and Black a renewed sense of physicality and swagger.
Coach Pierce responded to my question concerning the resurgence of physicality by saying, “Yes, I asked them — again, and we talked about it a little bit earlier — there is only so much you can do with physicality.” We’re not even able to wear pads at this point; it’s a mindset, a mentality, a purpose of how we want it to look and sound so that, even if you turn off the sound on your TV, you can still feel the vibration coming through the screen.
“And in my opinion, that’s a result of the players putting in the work and our coaching staff truly believing in and improving upon our group sessions and individual drills. But listen, man, what do you think you’re going to get when you have a defensive-minded coach and a defensive-minded former player? Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy scoring points, but I prefer to do it physically.”
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The Las Vegas Raiders’ defense led the way during the team’s upset victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day, scoring as many points as they allowed and accounting for all of the Raiders’ touchdowns. There were several standouts on that side of the ball, leading the way for this week’s winners and losers column.
It’s no secret that Antonio Pierce has spent the last two months trying out for the position of head coach, and Monday’s victory sent a clear message. Pierce triumphed for the first time against a top-tier opponent while traveling. Additionally, he’s getting closer to the 8-9 or 9-8 record, which seems to be the cutoff point for him to maintain his position.
It also doesn’t hurt that this game was on a national stage and Pierce has seemingly gained national support to become the Raiders’ full-time head coach.
While the team won, Aidan O’Connell continued to ride the rookie roller coaster as he had another tough performance. O’Connell missed several throws, finishing the game completing nine of 21 passes for just 62 yards and all of that came in the first quarter as he didn’t complete a pass for the rest of the game. Unlike the winners on this list, he left the door open for someone else to take his job next season.
Despite not having a lot of talent at his disposal, Patrick Graham has been an excellent defensive coordinator this season. However, Andy Reid and the Chiefs appear to have had Graham’s number in the past. With Kansas City scoring thirty points or more in their previous three games against Las Vegas, the defensive coordinator’s performance on Monday was revolutionary. In addition, the Raiders defense outscored the offense with two defensive touchdowns, almost winning the game on its own.
Andre James had a rough start to the game as Chris Jones gave him a rough sack, which resulted in a three-and-out play a play later. James continued to struggle in the running game and didn’t get much better for the remainder of the afternoon. With Dylan Parham at center last week, the offense looked much better, making the four-year pro expendable. He is an upcoming free agent.