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The Las Vegas Raiders had a wake-up call in Week 3 with a 36-22 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Following the game, head coach Antonio Pierce called out his players for making “business decisions.”
The team responded by beating the Cleveland Browns in Week 4, which led Pierce to apologize for calling out his players in a press conference instead of privately.
“There was a lot of hoopla, and stuff,” Pierce said during his September 29 postgame press conference. “Probably started with me, with my comments, and I apologize for that. Don’t want to be a distraction that way but … we just went to work each and every day. Things came out throughout the week and guys just never flinched [or] blinked.”
While Pierce regrets the comments, it clearly resonated with the team as they were much more prepared during the 20-16 win. The defense didn’t allow didn’t allow a single score after the first quarter and the offense showed signs of life. He may not call out his players in such a public way again but it seems that the message broke through.
That said, the Raiders still need to prove that they can handle success and have a big matchup on the road against the Denver Broncos in Week 5.
Jack Jones Benched for 1st Quarter
Pierce has not revealed which players he thought were making business decisions in Week 3, but it’s easy to deduce at least one of them. Cornerback Jack Jones had a play go viral prior to the Browns game that showed him giving minimal effort on a defensive play against the Panthers.
Jones is one of the starting cornerbacks but he was on the bench for the entirety of the first quarterback vs. the Browns. Pierce wouldn’t give details on why he was benched.
“Yeah, that was my decision,” Pierce said. “That’s between me and Jack.”
The normally outspoken Jones wasn’t too keen on discussing what went into the benching.
“I mean if I’m not up, I’m not up,” Jones said after the game, per ESPN. “If I’m up, I’ve got to play … that’s something you’ve got to talk to A.P. about, man. I’m the player.”
Pierce coached Jones in high school and college so the two go way back. The young cornerback appeared to respond well, which is a good sign for the Raiders going forward.
Antonio Pierce Praises Players
After the lifeless performance against the Panthers, it was important to see how the Raiders would bounce back, especially on defense. Pierce praised what the defense was able to do against the Browns.
“We did a good job of finding their key players, and more importantly, our rush and coverage matched up and forced the quarterback to hold the ball a little bit,” Pierce said.
The most notable difference in Week 4 was how physical the Raiders looked, especially in the run game. The team allowed a season-low 92 rushing yards while rushing for a season-high 152 yards. Pierce was impressed with what he saw.
“Our guys ran hard and I thought we were the most physical team as the game went on,” Pierce said.
If the Raiders can keep being physical in the run game, they should avoid performances like they had against the Panthers going forward.
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