With their 19-17 loss to the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs on Friday, the Las Vegas Raiders prolonged their dropping streak to eight consecutive video games, are 2-10 and can miss the playoffs for the third 12 months in a row and twentieth time in 22 seasons.
They don’t have any long-term reply at quarterback, the roster is devoid of playmakers exterior of rookie tight finish Brock Bowers and edge-rusher Maxx Crosby, and head coach Antonio Pierce doesn’t appear to be the reply on the sidelines.
It’s a grim outlook, and additionally it is in all probability time for one more full reset with an important components of the workforce.
Let’s begin with Pierce because the workforce’s head coach.
He took over for Josh McDaniels midway by means of the 2023 season and did sufficient down the stretch (5-4) to have the interim tag eliminated. Whereas it’s uncommon for head coaches to be fired after only one season, and whereas this season will not be fully Pierce’s fault, it’s tough to make a compelling argument for why they need to not take into consideration wanting exterior of the group for different choices.
For one, Pierce has made some really baffling selections in video games this season, together with Friday’s loss to the Chiefs. That doesn’t even get into the indecisiveness and revolving door of beginning quarterbacks.
Two of the most important blunders on Friday got here within the fourth quarter.
The primary got here with simply over 12 minutes to play when he accepted a five-yard penalty following a Patrick Mahomes incomplete go on 2nd-and-15. As a substitute of declining the penalty and giving the Chiefs a Third-and-15 scenario, Pierce accepted it to make it 2nd-and-20 in an effort to attempt to make a possible field-goal try a little bit tougher.
However all it did was give Mahomes an additional all the way down to get the primary down, and he took benefit of it by finishing 15-yard go to provide the Chiefs a extra manageable Third-and-5 scenario, which they simply transformed. The Chiefs ended up kicking a subject purpose anyway to retake the lead.
Later within the recreation with the Raiders dealing with a 4th-and-10 on the Chiefs 40-yard line with simply over two minutes to play, he burned an essential timeout after sending out the punt workforce after which altering his thoughts and electing to strive a subject purpose. Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson ended up lacking his third subject purpose of the sport on the try. The miss definitely harm, but it surely was a 58-yard try and much from automated. Losing the timeout was virtually much more damaging for the Raiders’ possibilities.
Until the Raiders suppose selections like which are going to dramatically change, or that Pierce is the long-term reply, this offseason can be the best time to attempt to discover that long-term reply.
This offseason is more likely to outcome within the Raiders drafting a quarterback on the high of the draft, whether or not or not it’s Miami’s Cam Ward or Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders.
The worst factor an NFL workforce can do for a younger quarterback is put them right into a scenario the place they’re consistently altering coaches early of their profession and never giving them any consistency. It’s the similar mistake groups just like the Chicago Bears preserve making, and most not too long ago made by bringing again Matt Eberflus for the beginning of this season. As quickly because the Bears made the choice to maneuver on from Justin Fields and draft Caleb Williams, they need to have simply ushered in a very new period with a brand new head coach.
It appears inevitable that inside a 12 months or two the Raiders are going to be altering coaches once more anyway. you will be selecting a brand new quarterback. Give that quarterback a brand new coach who can develop with them.
