REPORT: Is Raiders' Antonio Pierce's Seat Getting Warm?

The Las Vegas Raiders dropped to 2-8 on the season after their sixth loss in a row. As the losses continue to pile up, is Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce's seat warming up?

Nov 17, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce reacts from the sideline against the Miami Dolphins during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders have had a rocky season that has seen many things go differently than planned. That includes watching their defense start the season with expectations of being one of the best in the league, only to lose half of its starters to injuries.

Still, it is the National Football League, and no matter how valid it is, injuries are not allowed to be used as an excuse for poor performances. 

That leaves the Raiders in a difficult situation. Since losing numerous offensive starters, they have struggled to be productive. 

They have lost the players best equipped to help them win games on Sundays, which has directly correlated to their 2-8 start. 

Remember, Sports Illustrated is not calling for the Las Vegas Raiders to make a coaching change, but our job is to report legitimate news surrounding the team and the franchise.

Sterling Xie of The Sporting News believes Pierce is the most likely first-year coach in the league to be fired. However, he only has Pierce as the fifth-most likely head coach to be fired before the season ends. 

“Among 2024’s rookie head coaches, the Las Vegas Raiders’ Antonio Pierce is the best candidate for an in-season or Black Monday firing,” Xie said. “The Raiders’ 2-8 record is disappointing, but that’s not the only reason Pierce might be on the hot seat.

“Pierce might’ve pushed WR Davante Adams out of Las Vegas after he — inadvertently or otherwise — liked an Instagram post that suggested the veteran wideout had played his last snap for the Raiders. In September, he was forced to apologize after seemingly questioning the effort of some Vegas players, noting they’d made “business decisions” in games.”

While Xie’s assumptions that Pierce may have pushed out Adams is completely incorrect, his analysis on Pierce and his coaching staff’s shortcomings are legitimate.

“Meanwhile, Pierce’s in-game decision-making ranks among the worst in the NFL,” Xie said. “Only the [New England] Patriots have lost more win probability than the Raiders by failing to go for fourth-down conversions.

“In Week 1, Pierce made one of the blunders of the year by calling for a punt on a 4th-and-1 from the Chargers’ 43-yard line while trailing by six points. Pierce’s decision was a 100th-percentile cowardly decision per the Surrender Index, while Ben Baldwin’s model indicated the 4th-and-1 punt cost the Raiders 8.5 points of win probability. Any decision with a +2% WP is generally considered a must-go situation.”

While anything can happen, and things change quickly in the NFL, Pierce is likely to make it through the season at least. 

The players love him and play hard for him. Firing Pierce midseason for things primarily out of his control may not go over well in the Raiders locker room. 

However, considering many players on the current roster may not be on the team next season, the Raiders’ front office may not be concerned about how things go in the locker room.

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