Raiders' Pierce Has Interesting Answer For Spiraling Team

The Las Vegas Raiders are at a crossroads as they enter the bye week. Coach Antonio Pierce says he is confident in himself and the team, but should he be?

Sep 29, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce applauds the effort of his team against the Cleveland Browns during the third quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders have lost their last five games in a row. The losing streak comes as the Silver and Black enter their bye week. While the team has looked bad in nearly every way possible, Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce is still confident in his ability to lead the team. 

"Yeah, I mean, I'm obviously confident in my ability to lead and do what I'm asked to do as a head coach,” Pierce said. “I just had that conversation - oddly enough that you asked me that - with what our staff. 

“I asked them, what’s their confidence level, where are we at? Because that's going to be reflective onto the players, players then reflect that onto the field in their play style. We’ve got to get that back, and it's hard to be confident when you're losing, right? I can sit there and have a smile, and be gritty and all that stuff, but human nature does take an element of it. There's a piece of human element there, as far as your emotions that go into it. 

“But I'm a confident my ability to lead this team, to get them going. I think we fight. I think our effort is there. Our execution is poor at times. The opportunities that we have, we let them slip through our hands, and we’ve got to stop doing it. And I don't use the excuse we’re playing with a young roster.”

The Raiders entered Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals with injuries to multiple starters and significant contributors. They suffered injuries to an additional five players against the Bengals, which has led to the Raiders' dependence on many young and inexperienced players.

“I actually look at that as an advantage for us,” Pierce said. “Because I got a guy that can mold, he's a sponge, and I can feed him what I want him to be and what him to do and what I want him to look like. And that's what I told our staff man, just use this time with the players that we got in and out the lineup to just to keep molding. 

“Now yeah, is the continuity or the chemistry there? It's hard when you are in and out of lineup. We played eight O-Lineman yesterday. I don't think I've ever seen that before, at least been a part of it. But at the end of the day, the question of our team with our effort and our fight that's going to go through. They love one another, they are fighting.” 

The Raiders are 2-7 and undoubtedly one of the worst teams in the league. While a lot of the issues plaguing the team were well out of Pierce and the players’ control, they still must perform better than they have this season. Pierce is looking forward to regrouping over the bye week. 

“They're not going to let people poke holes in our armor right now as we're going through this tough stretch,” Pierce said. “But like I told them, we got this bye week to regroup. We'll do that over the next 42 to 72 hours, and we’ll get ready to come back and get ready for Miami."

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