The big names in Las Vegas continue to stump for Raiders interim head coach Antonio Pierce to keep the full-time gig following Sunday’s finale against Denver.
Star edge rusher Maxx Crosby said Pierce has his support “100%.”
“There’s only 32 [NFL] head coaches in the whole world,” Crosby said Thursday, via ESPN. “So you’ve got to find a leader of men. And when you’ve got one of them in the building currently, I don’t know why you would let them go.”
Please enable Javascript to view this content
Crosby’s comments came a day after Davante Adams said Pierce has his “vote” to be coach in 2024, adding that “basically” the entire locker room feels similarly.
It should be highlighted that Crosby had previously advocated for the Raiders to keep Rich Bisaccia, who was then an interim two years ago. This was before the team’s owner, Mark Davis, chose to hire Josh McDaniels.
Will the owner listen to his star players’ call this time?
Since Pierce took charge, the Raiders have become significantly more competitive. As they approach Week 18, they are leading the NFL in scoring defense since Pierce’s interim appointment.
- From week 1 to 8: An average of 23.4 points per game (ranked tied for 22nd), 1.0 takeaway per game (ranked tied for 24th), and 2.0 sacks per game (ranked tied for 25th).
- From week 9 to 17, the statistics were as follows: 16.3 points per game (ranking 1st), 1.6 takeaways per game (ranking tied for 9th), and 3.1 sacks per game (ranking tied for 7th).
Clearly, under Pierce’s leadership, Vegas has shown strong competition, boasting notable victories over division rivals Kansas City and Los Angeles. However, as the finale approaches, Pierce’s record stands balanced at 4-4. The uncertainty lies in whether Davis has faith in Pierce’s capability to maintain this momentum as they head into the 2024 season.
All that matters to Crosby are wins and a winning culture.
“In the past five years, I’ve only made it to the playoffs once. It’s utterly frustrating,” expressed Crosby. “We need to strategize our way forward. I’m fed up with both the constant changes and the losses. What I crave is stability and consistency, that’s paramount for me. My main aim is to win.”
