Antonio Pierce's Raiders get dumped on NFL coaching staff rankings
Antonio Pierce became the interim head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders after the franchise fired Josh McDaniels last season. The Raiders finished 5-4 with Pierce as head coach, and ultimately, he was made the team's permanent head coach this offseason.
The team's veteran leaders, Maxx Crosby and Davante Adams, love Pierce and played a huge role in convincing the owner, Mark Davis, to make that decision.
The Raiders enter the new NFL season with optimism; however, many problems still need to be addressed. Firstly, the quarterback situation with Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell is concerning, and the franchise would have loved a better option.
ESPN's Ben Solak recently ranked the NFL teams based on their coaching staff, i.e., head coach, offensive coordinator, and defensive coordinator. Unfortunately, the Raiders were placed in the last spot.
Solak mentioned that interim head coaches don't often have success when they become permanent ones. Moreover, he highlighted how the Raiders OC, Luke Getsy, didn't have much success in Chicago with Justin Fields, and the same could happen in Las Vegas.
He did highlight that their defensive coordinator, Patrick Graham, is good, but it might take some time for Antonio Pierce to become a competent head coach.
The Raiders fans will hope that their players and the coaching staff prove everyone wrong. Since Jon Gruden's departure, the franchise has been unstable. However, after seeing the way Pierce handled the team last year, he possesses the necessary traits to establish stability both on and off the field.
Antonio Pierce, Raiders made decision on team's QB1
The Raiders had Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell compete for the starting quarterback job in the training camp. Antonio Pierce and the team have decided that Minshew will be the starter in Week 1.
The 28-year-old quarterback signed a two-year, $25 million contract with the Raiders this offseason and now has the opportunity to make more money going forward if he plays well.
Minshew started 13 games for the Indianapolis Colts last season. Over the course of the season, he threw for 3,305 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions in 17 games, for a passer rating of 84.6.
The Raiders have plenty of good players on offense, like Davante Adams, Brock Bowers, and Jakobi Meyers. It is now up to Minshew to play well and keep his job, or else Pierce won't hesitate to give Aidan O'Connell another opportunity.