3 takeaways of Raiders coaching staff after 14 games
It’s been a tale of two seasons for the Raiders’ coaching staff, as Antonio Pierce replaced Josh McDaniels on a Halloween night purge that also cost offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi and general manager Dave Ziegler their jobs.
The move to Pierce, elevated from linebackers coach to interim head coach, has resulted in a 3-3 record that includes the highs of Thursday’s 63-21 win over the Chargers and the lows of a 3-0 loss to the Vikings last Sunday.
Pierce has gotten players to buy in and stay locked in. Even in their three losses, it was more about a lack of offensive execution than effort and professionalism.
Here are three takeaways of the coaching staff after 14 games:
1. McDaniels wasn’t the answer
The Raiders’ decision to hire the former Patriots offensive coordinator was sound in theory. He was considered an offensive genius and a championship-caliber football mind.
As it turns out, though, McDaniels might be the classic great coordinator but not head coach material.
For whatever reason, McDaniels could not transfer his football acumen to his players, at least not in a way that meant consistent performance levels. He also couldn’t lift quarterback Derek Carr to a higher level, and the decision to bring in Jimmy Garoppolo as his replacement was a colossal mistake.
McDaniels was hired to push the offense to a higher plateau. Instead, it got worse as time went on and left owner Mark Davis no choice but to fire him less than two seasons on the job.
McDaniels has failed in two head coaching opportunities, with his fate in Denver also sealed less than two years into his tenure. It will be interesting to see if he gets another chance.
2. Is Pierce the answer?
The firing of McDaniels opened an opportunity for Pierce, the Super Bowl-winning linebacker known for his leadership. From the moment Pierce took over, there was a different level of buy-in and positivity from the players, which is half the coaching battle.
Pierce understands what he doesn’t know, and that’s a healthy awareness some young coaches don’t have. It’s allowed him to hand the defense over to Patrick Graham and the offense to Bo Hardegree in ways that empower them rather than hinder them.
That doesn’t mean Pierce doesn’t have a voice, because he is absolutely a tone-setter in how he wants to attack on both sides of the ball. But by giving his coordinators the freedom to do their jobs, it promotes positive reactions to his suggestions. It creates a collective effort with a transparent, respected and accepted chain of command.
Whether Pierce has locked up the job permanently remains to be seen. And no matter what happens from this point, the Raiders must go through an extensive coaching search that will reach outside the building.
Performances like the one Thursday against the Chargers, especially coming off the loss to the Vikings four days before, certainly strengthen his position. His players responded after an embarrassing loss and have remained focused despite fading playoff hopes.
That’s a tribute to Pierce and the respect he commands in the locker room.
3. Graham turns around defense
Graham’s defense struggled last season, his first with the Raiders. But the club opted for continuity and making personnel changes rather than firing Graham.
The patience is paying off. Young players such as cornerback Nate Hobbs, linebacker Divine Deablo, safety Tre’von Moehrig and cornerback Amik Robertson have settled in during their second years in the system, and newcomers such as linebacker Robert Spillane and safety Marcus Epps have provided significant upgrades.
As a result, the defense is flourishing in Graham’s second season, and the more success that group has the deeper he is digging into his playbook to add a level of sophistication not seen in a Raiders defense in years.
Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.
