I’ll be the first to admit I was wrong. The Las Vegas Raiders have tried so many different things at head coach and they’ve all failed. I thought that bringing in the charismatic former player who had the locker room on his side might be a recipe for success.
However, that was contingent on the Raiders getting a quarterback and a very capable offensive coordinator, which obviously didn’t happen. A major problem for Pierce is that he’s only been an NFL coach since 2022 so he hasn’t had time to build relationships with up-and-coming minds around the league.
That’s why the staff is filled with names you know from a decade ago. I don’t necessarily blame Pierce for that. He was in the college ranks and was thrust into the head coaching job thanks to Josh McDaniels’ incompetence. He did the best he could last season given the circumstances but now he’s tasked with running this team and it’s becoming increasingly obvious that he’s in over his head.
Pierce’s suspect decision making on full display vs. Chiefs
Raider Nation has been souring on Pierce ever since the blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers. An easy way to get them back on his side would be to beat the Chiefs for a second straight time.
On Sunday, the Raiders actually had many chances to take control of the game. However, Pierce was responsible for so many baffling decisions. The first suspect decision came at the end of the first half.
The Chiefs scored and kicked the ball back to the Raiders with a little under two minutes left. With the score being 14-10 and Las Vegas getting the ball at halftime, this would’ve been a great time for them to drive down the field and get a field goal.
Instead, the team decided to run the ball twice and then throw an incompletion on third down. This led to the Chiefs getting the ball back, driving down the field and scoring a field goal. Pierce essentially gifted them three points.
In the third quarter, Tre’von Moehrig caught an interception and returned it all the way to the three-yard line. The Raiders decided to run the ball four straight times and turned the ball over on downs. The rushing offense was atrocious all day so why not at least attempt one pass in that spot? It’s possible that’s on offensive coordinator Luke Getsy but it does sound like there’s a mandate for him to keep the running game going.
This just shows a massive issue with defensive-minded coaches. They want to stay committed to the run even if it doesn’t make any sense.
Despite these mistakes, the Raiders got the game within seven points before the two-minute warning and may have had a chance to get the ball back. However, Pierce had used all of his timeouts prior to the final drive. Why would he do that? Because he has no idea what he’s doing.
Pierce isn’t ready to be a head coach
Pierce doesn’t call plays so he needs to be great at game management but he’s failing the Raiders in that aspect every week. He needs to have more experience coaching before he can lead an NFL team.
He was only a head coach at the high school level and a coordinator at the college level. He gives great speeches and seems like a great guy but the Raiders don’t need a cheerleader.
Mark Davis seems to really like Pierce but perhaps new minority owner Tom Brady can talk some sense into him. The Raiders are going to add a young quarterback this offseason and they need to set him up for success.
Pierce and Getsy are not going to be able to develop a young quarterback. The Raiders would be wise to target a young offensive mind like Ben Johnson or Bobby Slowik. If they decide to roll it back with the current crew, it’s hard to be excited about the future of the franchise.
