NFL
By: Brock Vierra
After a dominant 30-6 win at home against the fledgling New York Giants, the Raiders took to the locker room to celebrate in traditional Raiders style. Rap music and cigars. Interim head coach Antonio Pierce alluded to the connection that the Raiders had and continues to have with the working-class community of California and how the players were representatives of a people often overlooked by high-class society.
Quite frankly, that’s what the Raiders have always been. A representative of the people and a rebellion against the norm. Besides having players worth millions and a billion-dollar brand, the Raiders were the outsiders in professional football. They played hard, they hit hard, they had an attitude and they were apologetic about nothing. The Raiders are more than just a team. They are a lifestyle, a religion, a culture, and a nation that I believe has a leader that reflects those core values. Here are three things the Raiders need to do right now.
The Raiders need to take the interim tag off of Antonio Pierce
Mark Davis’ history with head coaching hires is hit and miss, airing on the side of miss. He’s set to owe Josh McDaniels and his staff around 85 million dollars and he may have to owe Jon Gruden some money though the latter seems unlikely. Mark Davis really can’t afford to whiff on another coaching hire so I’d say, give Antonio Pierce a shot.
A deal that would take Pierce to the end of the 2025 season gives the Raiders enough time to do a proper evaluation of him while still allowing the flexibility to move on if it doesn’t work out. Players want stability so for guys like Maxx Crosby, I’m sure he doesn’t want his sixth season to begin with a fourth head coach. Pierce grew up in Compton during the Raiders time in Los Angeles, he understands what the team means to people and what it takes to win as he has a Super Bowl with the Giants.
Give Pierce a legitimate opportunity to learn and grow without the fear of losing his job at the end of the year.
Hire Louis Riddick as General Manager
Now this is no knock to current interim GM Champ Kelly who has an impressive resume and I would hope he would revert to his old position of assistant GM if not given an opportunity to manage a team elsewhere. However Riddick who upon leaving the Eagles front office in 2013 has been a known face in football via his work with ESPN.
Riddick was a finalist for the Steelers GM job which was given to Omar Khan. Riddick worked alongside Howie Roseman, helped bring in pieces that contributed to the Eagles only Super Bowl victory and he was a Raider himself. He knows the type of players the team needs to be successful.
The Ex-Patriots need to go
The nice part is that majority of the former Patriots players that came to Las Vegas are already gone. However Jimmy G, Brian Hoyer and the remaining pieces need to go. The Raiders need to bleach themselves from anything that resembles the “Patriot Way.” As much as it would be easier to do in the offseason, Antonio Pierce needs to establish his culture right now and that can’t happen with players that acted in the manor desired by the old regime.
The Raiders have a long way to go before they’re competitive again. However the last time they had an interim coach and a starting QB wearing the number 4, they made the playoffs. The Raiders need to get serious because the offseason is right around the corner and teams have been building their draft boards for years now. They can’t afford to be behind the 8 ball anymore than they already have.
For more football content, watch Moving The Sticks. New Episodes every Sunday.
