Despite a 10-game losing streak that took place during the Las Vegas Raiders‘ ’24 campaign, Sin City’s head coach, Antonio Pierce, remains a polarizing figure in Raider-land. For many, the blatant dysfunction that’s contributed to that losing streak is enough of a reason to send Pierce packing this offseason. However, there certainly are a fair share of fans who believe one [full] year isn’t enough to accurately assess what a coach brings to the table.
No matter which side you’re on, one inescapable fact remains: Pierce’s future as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders is in, as NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero describes, “serious doubt.”
“My understanding based on conversations with people around the league is that Antonio Pierce’s future as head coach remains in serious doubt,” Pelissero noted prior to the start of Sunday’s contests.
“New minority owner Tom Brady has never been a part of anything like 3-12 and has been speaking with various people about how to get it fixed.”
That was the report heading into Sunday, as the Raiders got ready to duel the New Orleans Saints. And, four quarters of football later, Pierce and company managed to carve out a 25-10 victory on the road.
Goodbye 10-game losing streak, hello two-game winning streak.
The question now becomes, have these last two weeks tilted the scale for Pierce moving forward? Simply put, it’s incredibly unlikely.
Two weeks, two wins: Antonio Pierce and the Las Vegas Raiders
Only one thing creates job security for head coaches in the National Football League: winning. Luckily for Pierce, his squad has been able to earn victories in back-to-back weeks.
And yet, it’s hard to say these wins increase his chances of returning as the captain of Sin City’s ship.
Context matters; these wins have come against two teams that have each lost at least 11 contests this season. The Jacksonville Jaguars, who the Raiders bested 19-14 in Week 16, earned their fourth win of the season on Sunday against the three-win Tennessee Titans. With Trevor Lawrence nursing a shoulder injury he suffered in Week 16, Mac Jones has taken over as the team’s starting quarterback.
Be that as it may, Jacksonville’s current situation is a dream in comparison to that of the 5-11 Saints.
New Orleans, who walked away losers at home in Week 17, also did so at the hands of their backup signal caller. Joining their starting quarterback on the sidelines was their starting running back, center, one guard, and three of the three original starting wideouts: Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and Bub Means. Do-it-all player Taysom Hill also watched elsewhere thanks to a knee injury that landed him on the injured reserves list in Week 13.
Although wideout Marquez Valdes-Scantling did take the field, he too dealt with an injury that limited him in practice heading into game day.
Sure, there is indeed something to be said about taking care of business. However, when a 10-game losing streak consists of blowout losses against the 8-8 Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals, both of whom had three-possession wins against Las Vegas, in addition to a 22-36 loss at the hands of the 4-12 Carolina Panthers, there isn’t much business being taken care of.
One opportunity left
In any event, Pierce has a chance to show Mark Davis, the Raiders’ controlling owner, that he can do more than scrape out wins against teams that are competing for the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Los Angeles Chargers are the last team on the schedule, and they’re not playing around.
Under Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles has had a season few expected. On top of their 10-6 record through 17 weeks, the Chargers have already punched their ticket into this year’s postseason.
They did it in dominant fashion, too, with a 40-7 win over the Patriots in New England.
Harbaugh and the Chargers are riding high; Pierce has the opportunity to re-introduce his AFC West rivals to earth.
If the Silver and Black are able to rally behind their head coach and carve out a win to end the season, Pierce will have a reason to tell Davis why he deserves to retain his head coaching gig. In his current position, the Raiders have won .360% of games they’ve suited up for. For reference, this percentage is equal to that of Josh McDaniels‘ during his time in Las Vegas, both winning nine games while losing 16.
2024 has been that unkind to Pierce, who headed into the year with a 5-4 advantage.
A win against the Chargers would put Pierce over the abnormally low bar set by McDaniels. Conversely, a loss against the 10-6 Chargers would give him an even lower win percentage. Either way, the Raiders will be giving it all they have in Week 18, much to the displeasure of [most of] Raider Nation.
*Top Photo: Getty Images
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