HENDERSON, Nev. — Antonio Pierce is working as if he’ll stay the coach of the Las Vegas Raiders after a 4-13 season, although he had but to fulfill with crew proprietor Mark Davis and basic supervisor Tom Telesco when he addressed reporters in his end-of-season information convention Monday.
“I have not been informed something totally different,” stated Pierce, who was carrying a throwback Raiders Starter jacket on the podium.
Asked if he’d like his standing “cleared up,” Pierce shrugged.
“It’s solely coming from the skin,” he stated of swirling hypothesis. “It’s not contained in the constructing. To me there’s nothing to wash up till I hear from contained in the constructing.”
As such, Pierce stated he didn’t anticipate making any adjustments to his workers within the wake of the crew’s fewest wins since 2018. It was additionally the primary time the Raiders had been winless towards AFC West opponents since 2006.
The Raiders endured a 10-game dropping streak, their longest in-season skid since they started the 2014 season 0-10 and had the NFL’s worst speeding assault. But Las Vegas did have the league’s No. 10 complete protection coming into the season finale, a 34-20 loss to the playoff-bound Los Angeles Chargers.
Raiders gamers credited Pierce for retaining them targeted throughout a attempting season.
“Shout out to AP as a result of he saved the blokes motivated, even once you’re dropping so many in a row,” stated receiver Jakobi Meyers, who had his first profession 1,000-yard season.
“That’s arduous as knowledgeable. That’s arduous as a competitor, normally. AP simply did an amazing job in retaining us going and understanding what the purpose is on the finish of the day.”
Rookie Brock Bowers, whose 112 catches had been the third most by a decent finish in NFL historical past, echoed Meyers’ phrases.
“I actually preferred AP as a coach,” stated Bowers, who was chosen for the Pro Bowl.
“I do know choices are made and it is as much as sure folks and never us, so I haven’t got any management over that. But I actually preferred enjoying for him and I believed he was an amazing coach.”
Added quarterback Aidan O’Connell: “He did an amazing job of [motivating], tried to talk to the blokes that wished to proceed to combat.
“Guys continued to point out as much as work and do the fitting issues and simply tried to chip away.”
Pierce stated he ought to have gone along with his “intestine” extra this season and intimated he regretted not going with O’Connell at quarterback over Gardner Minshew to begin the season.
“We’ve received to get higher gamers,” Pierce stated. “We’ve received to teach higher. You’ve received to do loads of issues higher once you solely win 4 video games.”
