Pierce Wants The Black Hole to Be a Tough Place to Play

The Las Vegas Raiders are coming off of a tough loss to the Miami Dolphins and now enter arguably the toughest stretch of their season, starting with Kansas City.

The Las Vegas Raiders return home to Allegiant Stadium to play the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. 

Both teams are coming off of a loss, but the Chiefs will play Sunday's game on a short week of rest and preparation since they played the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.

While the Raiders' loss to the Miami Dolphins set them back in the playoff hunt, four of Las Vegas' next six games are against AFC West teams, making the games a little more important. Three of those games are at home.

"In our division and three out of the four at home, I'm going to start there," Interim Coach Antonio Pierce said. "Having a home-field advantage for us is huge. What we've gotten the last two home games, against the Giants and Jets [from the fans], that has also energized our team.

Four of the Las Vegas Raiders' last six games are against AFC West opponents / © Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

"I'm calling on Raider Nation, our fan base, and our alumni to show up and show out. Bring that energy, bring that passion. Watch these guys play hard, give the effort, execute at a high level, and play with the intention to win every game at home."

The Raiders have won four of their five games at home this season, but have seen an influx of fans from opposing teams in the stands many times this season. 

Pierce wants that to change as the season continues. Four of Las Vegas' last six games are at home.

"Allegiant Stadium has to be ours," Pierce said. "That Black Hole has to be real. When we make that a conscious effort and a mindset, and the fans do the same, it's a hell of a place to play at. We're fortunate that three of the four [next divisional games] are going to be at our place. It's a great opportunity for us in the division with a team that we know very well, and we're excited."

The Raiders have historically been known for having one of the best fan bases in the National Football League, especially for home games. 

However, that hasn't necessarily been the case since the team moved to Las Vegas. 

Pierce has done a great job changing the culture inside the Raiders' locker room. Maybe with their improved play, the new-look Raiders he's leading can help change the culture at Allegiant Stadium as well. 

The Silver and Black will return home this week to celebrate Thanksgiving and take on their AFC West rival, the Kansas City Chiefs, on Sunday, November 26, at 4:25 p.m. EST/1:25 p.m. PST.

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