BREAKING: Raiders Coach Antonio Pierce Spoke Moments Ago, We Have Everything He Said

Moments ago, Las Vegas Raiders Coach Antonio Smith, after the Silver and Black tied the San Francisco 49ers, and we have everything he said for you.

Las Vegas Raiders Coach Antonio Pierce / Darrell Craig Harris, Sports Illustrated

LAS VEGAS, Nev.--The Las Vegas Raiders completed training camp tonight with a tie hosting the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium on Friday in the last exhibition of this season.

Our own Aidan Champion described it this way.

For a game that didn't consist of offensive or defensive starters for the Las Vegas Raiders, their preseason finale against the San Francisco 49ers at Allegiant Stadium on Friday night was probably their most entertaining.

The game resulted in a 24-24 tie, with a thrilling final couple of minutes to conclude the Raiders' 2024 preseason.

Moments ago, we spoke to Coach Antonio Pierce who offered his thoughts on the contest, Raider Nation, and much more.

Here is what he had to say to Sports Illustrated; you can watch it below.

Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce also spoke after the game, and here is a complete transcript.

Q: AP, obviously as a head coach you want guys to make your job difficult. Can you talk about maybe some guys that did that tonight?

ANTONIO PIERCE: Yeah, I thought McAllister did a hell of a job, Ramel, Robinson, Gainer. They just kind of stood out just from the eye. But a lot of the stuff, a lot of film to grade, right? A lot of situational football too that our older guys can learn from. It was good to see those guys compete to the very end.

Q. What have you seen from Snowden both tonight and also all of preseason and training camp?

ANTONIO PIERCE: Yeah, some ups and downs and just good on special teams. We're looking for consistency.

Q. When it comes to Tyreik, during camp when he would get the ball there was some electricity there and it translated to the game tonight. Can talk a little bit about him? He seems like an intriguing prospect.

 ANTONIO PIERCE: Yeah, he's got some juice, right? Came from the CFL and played running back, never really played wide receiver. You can see that transition into the off-season program. I thought he did a hell of a job just in training camp, just quietly. If you really think about that Minnesota game he popped one there. We been seeing it in practice, but today he took it to another level, took one to the crib, and hell of a catch and adjustment there on a reception. Then even just covering kicks. He's been -- moved the needle tonight.

Q. What is your process going to be here as you start to decide who makes the 53 and who doesn't over the next few days?

ANTONIO PIERCE: Yeah, me and Tom going to sit there and pound some tape away and brainstorm and put some names up there and just look at it. It's tough. It's not easy cutting 37 men and tell them they got to find somewhere else to play or whatever it may be. Nature of the beast, and we'll evaluate over the next 48 hours.

Q. As far as the run defense, do you say it's just preseason or do you kind of -- are you concerned at all? What's your take?

ANTONIO PIERCE: No. I don't think it's good enough. That's not to the standard. To be honest, it's not our standards. We don't want anybody just creasing us down the middle of the field. A lot of that stuff, we got to disengage on the first level, front line, and our linebackers got to match the back. It's the same plays. Same thing Minnesota did, so obviously we got to clean up as a defensive staff. Our vets see it different now when the vets are on the sideline and they're looking at it like coaches. You hear them talking, well, hell, I told you that two weeks ago. It's good for them guys to see it. It's really good for us to have it on film. Got to get back to the drawing board. Got two weeks or so for the regular season to fix that.

Q. AP, with preseason in your exhibition games over, curious, what are you most pleasantly surprised with with your team that you didn't think you would be at today?

ANTONIO PIERCE: Yeah, just the way we compete. Today I thought the game at times was up and down, emotional. And the guys at the very end, Carter and those guys moving the ball on the offense. I thought they did a great job of just celebrating with one another, coaching each other up on the sideline, cheering for one another, and competing. When we put our 53-man roster together we know what it's like, we know what it's.

It's business, but what we wanted to accomplish over training camp and the off-season program, I think we have done that.

Q. Two quick ones: Amari Gainer played a lot tonight. You pushed him and seem to have respond. Quick thoughts on that. And also the process of throwing the challenge flag and everything. I know it's preseason for all that stuff, too. How did that all go?

ANTONIO PIERCE: Yeah, I thought Amari did a really good job. Listen, you got an opportunity, you make the most of it. If I was a player I wouldn't want to get pulled right now when cuts are coming up. He stuck in there to the very end and called the defense tonight; first time he's done that as well.4. Just some bright spots and things he can learn from as well. That was good to see. The challenge flags, listen, it's preseason. A lot of things we done in the first, game, second game that we're tweaking and evaluating, myself and Matt Sheldon, who handles game managements, the timeouts you saw there and trying to get that right and constantly working. Really like I said, it's prep for everybody, for myself, everybody getting ready for the regular season.

Q. Byron Young, we've talked about the importance of his development this year. Put a couple of pretty good plays together there early. You thoughts on him tonight.

ANTONIO PIERCE: Yeah, thought this was a good game for him. Played a lot of snaps again. One of those young players you just want to see get more reps. Just need more reps, man. Sometimes you're like, all right, like you're talking about it, we label these young players in their first, second year as they're not ready. It takes time. Tonight was hopefully a step forward for him to get out there and get reps and really strain. You're fatigued out there. They had 74 snaps. You know you got to play, and he's on early downs, but it was good to see him get a sack and the guys celebrate with him. That's the best part about the preseason. Especially this third game for us and not playing our starters and just seeing the excitement to see their teammate make a play.

tQ. With a game like this is there anything you can take without the starters playing that can lead to some feeling like a gut in your -- just something in your gut.  or instinct about how the seen will play out?

ANTONIO PIERCE: I don't think how it'll play out. I think for us as a staff and our players, a lot of just situational football. You saw at the end of half, I thought it was a great job by our offense to go out there; we scored; get the ball in the second half, boom, we put up another 7. We flip it right there, so that's good. Then end-of-game situation there, right? We got a missed cue by the quarterback and he clocks in; all right, we to go out there and kick a field goal. So a lot of lesson to learn, and I think we put a lot into preseason, yes, I want to win every game. You also want to have a lot of learning lessons so we don't make those mistakes going forward.

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