The Las Vegas Raiders may have struck gold when they handed head coach Antonio Pierce the keys to the car in 2023 following the firing of former head coach Josh McDaniels.
Not only does Pierce have the love and respect of his players, he also turned things around on the field, with the Raiders going from a 3-5 record to an 8-9 finish after posting a 5-4 record under Pierce over the final nine games.
Making that more impressive was the fact that the Raiders were operating with a rookie under center. Despite that, the offense actually posted better numbers with Pierce at the helm, as did the defense.
There are many reasons why players love to work under Pierce, and one of them is his outgoing personality, which is often on full display whenever you hear him talk, whether that be to his players or the media.
And that personality opens the door for impressions, something the Raiders tasked their players with doing recently. Not all of them were good, but we can say that cornerback Nate Hobbs and punter A.J. Cole were the best. Check it out.
RAAAIIIDEERRRSSSS 🗣️#RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/Gqx9bNN096
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) July 8, 2024
By all accounts, Raiders players are fully buying in under Pierce and if Las Vegas can build on its finish from last season, the Raiders will have a good shot to end their two-year playoff drought.