Raiders Coach Antonio Pierce Spending More Time with the Offense

The Las Vegas Raiders have a defensive-minded head coach in Coach Antonio Pierce. However, he has spent more time with the offensive side of the ball this offseason.

November 5, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders interim head coach Antonio Pierce (left) high-fives wide receiver Davante Adams (17) after a touchdown against the New York Giants during the first quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Las Vegas Raiders went from having an offensive-minded head coach to a defensive-minded head coach halfway through the season.

Coach Antonio Pierce helped Defensive Coordinator Patrick Graham elevate the Raiders’ defense to one of the best in the league over the second half of last season. Las Vegas has many new faces on the offensive side of the ball, but the defense has remained nearly intact from last season. 

The continuity the defense already has, and Las Vegas’ overall comfort level with its defensive roster and coaching staff has allowed Coach Pierce the opportunity to focus less of his attention on that side of the ball this offseason. In his first offseason as an NFL head coach, Pierce has spent more time this offseason with the offensive side of the ball, learning how the new offensive coaching staff communicates to the players what it is they are trying to do.

"This is the good part because I really do take off my coach's hat and now become a player and how it's being taught, how's it being presented, how's it coming across, are we being repetitive, are we going too fast, are we changing up, are we using all the resources that we have in this building to teach and learn?" Pierce said last week. "It's been very good because I can actually put myself in their shoes.”

The continuity the defense already has, and Las Vegas’ overall comfort level with its defensive roster and coaching staff has allowed Pierce to focus less on that side of the ball this offseason. In his first offseason as an NFL head coach, Pierce spent more time with the offensive side of the ball, learning how the new offensive coaching staff communicates its game plan to the players.

“When we have those staff meetings at night or in the morning, things that we talk about and seeing our different assistant coaches talk like we talked about empowering them earlier, I think it has been critical for all of us because having one voice talk all the time installing can get boring,” Pierce said.

Pierce noted how the change of pace has been good for him, coming from the defensive side of things. However, Pierce also believes the change of pace between the coaches on the offensive side of the ball and how they communicate can better help players learn what is being taught, as players tend to get bored listening to the same voices and coaching styles repeatedly.  

“But when you change up, and you have a guy like Luke Steckel that comes in here and has got a lot of juice, a lot of energy," Pierce said. "And then you get James Cregg, and he's all wiry, and it's like, 'Goddamn.' So, you bounce the ball, and then you've got Cadillac [Carnell Williams], and he's got that southern drawl, and you slow it down.”

“So, now these guys are on their toes. It's not just sitting here getting bored, right? Because at this time of year, again, it's voluntary. So, to see those guys in there and just have that attention span was really critical for me. And obviously, that's why I'm sitting there because I want to make sure we're getting it the right way."

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