What a Difference a Year Has Made for the Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders will kick off the 2024 season this Sunday. The Raider culture is back, and Coach Antonio Pierce is leading the way.

Jan 7, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders interim head coach Antonio Pierce cheers with fans after the Raiders defeated the Denver Broncos 27-14 at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

A year ago, the Las Vegas Raiders had a whole different vibe, view and culture, with different players at key positions and different coaches running the show.

Fast forward to this season, and it feels like Raiders football is officially back. The organization did a complete 180 this offseason. They hired new head coach Antonio Pierce and new general manager Tom Telesco to lead the way and they have a great supporting staff to help them.

The team now feels refreshed and ready to get this season going. Now all the Raiders have to do is go out there and "Just Win Baby."

"I am approaching the exact same way," Pierce told the media on Wednesday. "To be honest, when I got the interim, I was not trying to give it up. In my head, I was permanent. I knew what the tag said.

"No different in my approach. I do have more time to prepare, obviously. When that happened last year, I was in a 72, 96-hour window to get ready for a game. This has been a lot different preparing. Going through a whole calendar year. Going through a whole offseason, going through a whole training camp. Just the process with Telesco, as well with our roster. And really, more importantly, our coordinators ... what we want to be. What is our identity? What is our DNA? What do we want to look and sound like, when you guys watch us play on Sundays?

"The roster. The mentality. How we are stared. The expectations. We expect to win," said Pierce.

It is important that these Raiders players want to play for Pierce. All offseason and training camp, we have seen the culture change and players being themselves and helping each other out. Pierce and the rest of this coaching staff have had a major impact on this team.

Raider Nation does not have to wait much longer to see the impact in a game, as the Raiders travel to L.A. to take on the Chargers this Sunday in their first game under Pierce. This will be a homecoming game for Pierce and the Raiders, with the Silver and Black having spent many years in Los Angeles.

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