When in the midst of a lengthy losing streak, it can be easy for a team to place blame.
We see it all the time. Players turn on one another, locker rooms lose chemistry.
Despite having now lost four straight games, Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said his team hasn’t come unglued.
“No, they were good,” Pierce said on Monday. “I mean, they were good for what would be good after a loss, if that makes sense. There was no pointing fingers, there was no — get back to work. Like I told the guys today, we got to do this for another nine weeks. And that’s what we signed up for. So, it’s not easy, it’s tough, don’t like it, wish it was easier, wish I could come in here with a smile and give you all the right answers, but we’re still searching for the answers. And that’s our job.”
For a team that hasn’t been able to figure out how to consistently control the course of a game, it’s important that the Raiders are doing what they know for sure they can, and that’s staying composed as a unit.
This group has faced all sorts of adversity through eight games. Its quarterback position hasn’t been stable — whether it be because of Aidan O’Connell’s injury or Gardner Minshew II’s poor play. It also dealt with the drama surrounding its former wide receiver Davante Adams and what his future would hold. And all the while, the Raiders have suffered injury after injury, with two of their best players — safety Marcus Epps and defensive end Malcolm Koonce — out for the year and one out indefinitely — defensive tackle Christian Wilkins.
But this team is keeping its head up. It isn’t feeling sorry for itself. It isn’t losing faith in one another.
That’s professionalism. That’s coaching.
Winning is the most important thing, yes, and this team would like to have more wins and not have to go into the trade deadline at 2-6. But it’s controlling what it can.
You can expect this team to come out with the same energy every week. And that’s all you can ask for when it comes to effort.
