The Las Vegas Raiders firing of Josh McDaniels as head coach has opened up an opportunity for Antonio Pierce. The interim head coach of the Raiders has gone through some ups and downs, but one thing that has been clear is that this team supports him fully and Davante Adams has been someone who has spoken on what he has brought to the team.
The Raiders’ star receiver has had no problems voicing his opinions when he feels something isn’t right, but in the case of Pierce there has been nothing but positives spoken from Adams and the rest of the team and that was certainly the case after the Raiders’ domination over the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Raiders were on a three-game losing streak before the victory on Thursday night and Adams says the Raiders rallied around Pierce to let him know they were behind him 100 percent.
“AP’s [Antonio Pierce] a dog, man,” Adams said after the win. “When you’ve been in the shoes that we’re in now, it helps a lot. He understands the mindset, he understands the goal that we have as a team, and I think everyone has rallied around him real tight to make sure he knows that we got his back. He has our back, we have his back, we just got to do this thing together.”
Whether they have won or lost, the energy surrounding the Raiders has been far better since Pierce took over as interim coach. He simply has a connection to the team that McDaniels didn’t and receiver Tre Tucker noted that the Raiders just respond to him in a different way.
“Everything,” Tucker responded when asked how important it was to get a win for Pierce. “And I think we just respond to him well. He brings it every day. So, for us, like I said, what you saw on the field is a product of him.”
Whether or not the Raiders will choose to remove the interim tag and make Antonio Pierce the permanent head coach remains to be seen. He has certainly done everything to show that he is capable at this level and if the Raiders don’t give him that opportunity someone else undoubtedly will.
But one thing that can not be argued is that the Raiders have responded extremely well to Pierce ever since he has taken over and that connection is obvious as Adams, Tucker, Maxx Crosby and many others have made very clear.
