BREAKING: Raiders Coach Pierce Browns Midweek Presser

Moments ago Las Vegas Raiders Coach Antonio Pierce addressed the media for his regularly schedueled Wednesday presser, Cleveland Browns week.

Las Vegas Raiders Coach Antonio Pierce / Darrell Craig Harris, Sports Illustrated

HENDERSON, Nev.—The Las Vegas Raiders (1-2) are a team desperately trying to find their identity as they prepare to host the Cleveland Browns (1-2) this weekend.

Moments ago, Coach Antonio Pierce addressed the media here at the team headquarters, and we have the entire press conference for you to watch below:

On Monday of this week, Coach Antonio Pierce addressed the media, and here is a transcript of what he said:

Q: What do you feel like the message needs to be today?

Coach Pierce: "Oh, we just got to correct it. Very direct. It is what it is, and that's what we're going to do, call a spade a spade."

Q: You've had some time to reflect on the game yesterday and first loss in that kind of fashion since you've been head coach. What did you learn from that? And looking back, was there anything you felt like you could have done better or learned from in this experience?

Coach Pierce: "Yeah, I mean, we talked about it. We ID’d they could be a slip up and this a game I guess where you have a high of a highs against the Ravens, and you come out against the team that everybody's expecting you to beat. So, we discussed that, and we talked about physicality, talked about Andy Dalton and his efficiency getting the ball out quick and understanding the offense. Just kind of looking back, I think all of us, myself, the staff, it just has got to be better."

Q: After the game, you talked about the Raiders having to make business decisions. Have you made any of those yet?

oach Pierce: "No, we haven't. Got to get with the players first."

Q: Obviously, a lot was made of that comment in the national media this morning. As you think about it, are you happy that you pointed it out?

Coach Pierce: "I don't bite my tongue."

Q: When it comes to making business decisions on the coaching staff’s part, does that mean lineup changes or what is that?

Coach Pierce: "Whatever helps the Raiders win. And right now, that performance is not going to help any team win, let alone the Raiders."

Q: Over the last four games in 2023, Zamir White lead the NFL in rushing and rushing yards per carry. I know that there was a scheme change, there was an offensive coaching change. Do you feel like maybe it needs to get back to what you were doing last year?

Coach Pierce: "No, it was. We did, and last year is last year. We are what we are now, the worst running team in football. And that's not something I'm proud of, our staff is not proud of and I'm sure our team is not. And again, we're going to get in here and we're going to chip away after we make the corrections from today and be honest with one another. But it's very disappointing to watch our run game."

Q: Do you feel like there's some scheme changes that can help with that? Coach Pierce: "I think there needs to be a lot of changes."

Q: Is that including personnel? Coach Pierce: "I mean, like I always say, we just need to be successful, man. Right now, I think yesterday, we had a run of six and a run of nine, everything else was two and three. You're not going to win in the National Football League like that."

Q: Any updates on Marcus Epps or Thayer Munford?

Coach Pierce: "No, I haven't gotten with them. We just got out of meetings right now."

Q: You've consistently talked since you came here about avoiding the roller coaster, not riding that roller coaster week to week. And it's kind of been a roller coaster. How do you turn what you want into seeing that on the field?

Coach Pierce: "Yeah, I mean, it's collective. It's just not myself speaking on it, it's not the coaches, the players, it's everybody. We have to do it. We have to buy in. It's one of those games when you watch it, we got beat up on physically. We weren't the more physical team yesterday. We didn't look like the team that wanted it more yesterday. And that's got to be a message that we rally around, and we really take pride in. And you're going to have times where sometimes your best players don't have their best days and other guys got to step up. And that's why it's called team football. I think more importantly, I think all of us need to understand you got a role, you need to do it the best you can do it at full speed. The effort wasn't up to par as it's been in previous games. That showed up and that didn't look good at the end of the game. So, those are examples."

Q: We're talking about a performance yesterday that obviously nobody was happy with. But there's been some that have been great, like outstanding along the way. Have you identified anything going into those games preparation-wise?

Coach Pierce: "No, listen, we talked about the opportunity here to be2-1 at home. The crowd was amazing, like freaking amazing yesterday. Loud, rowdy, felt a little bit old school, but we just didn't come to play. You can see that the very first series defensively. I mean, they went right down the field, and then offensively it wasn't pretty. And that just led up to ‘Okay, did we did we press a little bit? Did we stress? Did we not do a good enough job of reintegrating our must, the goals, the objectives?’ We always talk about resetting after each series. And I think sometimes we let a play or series linger, and I saw that at halftime. We tried to adjust that then. But the roller coaster, it's an emotional game, it's human nature that plays an element of that, and we just got to control those elements."

Q: Jackson Powers-Johnson was playing right guard and alternating with Dylan Parham. Is that kind of the plan moving forward? Because we saw him at left guard previously. Where do you feel he's better at?

Coach Pierce: "No, we were just trying to get him on the field. And that might be a one-time deal, it might be going forward. But just trying to get him on the field, and again, trying to find the best five offensive linemen with continuity and chemistry, and obviously, protect the quarterback and run the football."

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