Antonio Pierce is 9-16 in parts of two seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders. He took over as interim coach in 2023 when Josh McDaniels was fired.
Now, Las Vegas is 4-12, and Pierce has been on the hot seat for much of the season. Let’s examine the pros and cons of Pierce’s tenure and whether the Raiders will make a coaching change.
What Went Wrong Under Antonio Pierce?
Red Zone Woes
Turning red zone trips into seven points and limiting your opponent’s ability to do so often swings outcomes, and in that regard, the Raiders struggled in a major way under Pierce.
During his two seasons, Las Vegas has ranked 29th in red zone offense and defense, a combination that caps the team’s ceiling. Limited talent can result in a low red zone trip rate. Still, coaching is often responsible for scheming up ways to convert the opportunities when they present themselves, an area that Pierce needs to iron out with time.
Drive Extension
The Raiders ranked 27th in third-down conversion rate during Pierce’s tenure. Part of those struggles can be attributed to a lack of upside at the quarterback position.
Still, the fact that they have ranked 27th in third-and-short situations speaks to a lack of offensive creativity that prevents much in the way of offensive potential.
What Went Right Under Pierce?
Discipline
Pierce and his staff completely solved the stigma of the Raiders franchise. Over his two seasons, Las Vegas committed just 0.7 penalties per game, tied for the lowest in the league. That’s a nice stat to have in the pocket of any head coach for any amount of time, but the fact that he took over the most penalized team in the two seasons before his arrival (7.0) makes it that much more impressive.
Jim Harbaugh’s Los Angeles Chargers were tied for third-fewest in penalties per game this season, and we routinely see Andy Reid’s Kansas City Chiefs and Mike Tomlin’s Pittsburgh Steelers occupying the top 10 in that regard.
There’s something to be said for a coach’s impact in this regard, and Pierce was able to flip the narrative in short order for the Raiders.
Resolve
The results obviously weren’t there in 2024, but their competitive nature can’t be overlooked. In Week 12, they were in a three-point game with six minutes to play against a strong Denver Broncos team and the following week, Las Vegas was a botched snap away from potentially beating the Chiefs in Arrowhead on Black Friday.
Wins over the Jacksonville Jaguars and New Orleans Saints late in the season may not be resume builders, but they speak to Pierce’s having the ear of this locker room and his ability to keep them locked in down the stretch.
Only so many positives can be gleaned from a losing season like this, but we saw some teams throw in the towel, and the Raiders are certainly on that list.
Will Pierce Be Fired?
With a 5-4 finish as interim head coach, Pierce was brought back by popular demand.
A terrible 2024 season has not yielded the same confidence from the players or front office, with many players gone or wanting out.
It’s very possible his days in Las Vegas are numbered.