Although there is a lot of hope in the potential of Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce and his team, a new ranking from ESPN is anything but flattering for the Vegas Raiders coaching staff.
After a disastrous first half of the 2023 NFL season, there is hope for the Raiders. The strong finish led by Antonio Pierce in an interim role showed that the roster had more than enough talent to compete at a much higher level.
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Although there are doubts about the quarterback position, Pierce and his staff have brought a new level of confidence to the team heading into the first week of the 2024 season. Others, however, have their doubts. Especially considering the long history of failed former interim coaches.
In a new ranking of all 32 NFL coaches ESPN Pierce and his colleagues ended up in last place in the league before the new season. And their explanation is not far-fetched.
Las Vegas Raiders 2023 record: 8-9
The Las Vegas Raiders have the worst coaching staff in the NFL?
“I’m always leery of promotions from interim to head coach. The best success story for an interim promotion in the last 20 years is that of former Cowboys coach Jason Garrett. Do you really want to go after a promotion for Jason Garrett?” wrote NFL writer Ben Solak. “And that’s before you look at Pierce’s profile. Five years ago, Pierce was the linebackers coach for Arizona State.
“I’m not against a quick rise at all, but I think NFL experience — just spending time on a lot of teams with a lot of players — gives coaches the vision and the steady hand they need to run a franchise. It’s not that being a long-time NFL coach makes you good; it’s that even the naturally good coaches have to learn from their experiences over time,” he added. “Pierce hasn’t accumulated those years at the mast yet.”
Solak also stated that he is a fan of defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. However, he has major concerns about new OC Luke Getsy and fears that their 5-4 record may be motivated by a classic honeymoon phase where a former position coach played hardball.
Also read: Analysis of the Las Vegas Raiders’ remaining position battles before the 2024 season finale
