With the addition of Jim Harbaugh to the Chargers, the AFC West now features two Super Bowl head coaches and a head coach with an NCAA championship (although Harbaugh did lead the 49ers to a Super Bowl).
Antonio Pierce has, by far, the leanest coaching resume in the division, but he hasn’t been talking like somebody who knows it.
The Raiders first-year head coach did an interview with Sirius XM NFL this week at the Super Bowl, and he was asked about the “challenges” of competing against the elite coaches in the AFC West. Pierce didn’t want to hear anything about it…
“No, I think it’s the other way around. They got their work cut out [with] me and the Raiders. I can only go off of my nine games, right? We was 3-1 in the division. The way we played I think was very convincing in those games. We’re going to be a problem. I’m not looking at everybody else. They’re going to have to start looking at us and the Raiders.
That’s the approach we’re taking. I get it. We got to earn it. AP is just talking smack. No we’re not. We’re going to work. We’re going to work this whole offseason. Get the best staff we can put together. We’re going to believe. We got one goal and that’s to win the division.”
Without question, there’s a different feel around the Raiders since Pierce took over for Josh McDaniels.
The players feel it and so do the fans.
Awkward as he might have been, McDaniels was always a careful and calculated speaker in his 22 months with the Raiders. He never wanted to give opponents “bulletin board material” with anything he said.
On the contrary, Pierce couldn’t seem to care less about what anyone thinks outside of the Raiders’ locker room.
Safe to say (already), there probably hasn’t ever been a coach in Silver and Black who embodies one of the great Al Davis quotes better than Pierce…
“They said you had to take what the defense gave you. No, we are going to take what we want.”
twitter: @raidersbeat
He sure can talk the talk … now he has to back it up and he knows that. He has to get the players that Know and Do that too. No more crappy drafts and no more crappy FA signings …. We see how it all works out. But he sure sounds good right now.
Love it! That’s the way you have to talk and the attitude you need to have. F***k everybody else! That’s the Raiders way!!
What till they get a load of me!
Jack Nicholson – in Batman
OK, I hope AP is right. I will reserve the right to agree until I see who we have as our QB, O & D-line, and our secondary is. Let JJ go, have Zeus now. AP has emphasized hard work. That better happen, because talk only goes so far. Yes, its important to have that swagger, but if we play hard, but not team smart, well be mediocre or even worse. Come on AP, lead the way. Not only win the division, but win the Super Bowl.
Talk the talk and walk the walk. Something really really special is brewing here and i am loving it. Antonio go get that game changer at qb whether thru the draft or trade for justin fields. But whatever you do don’t go after cousins or mayfield or wilson. We don’t need overpaid old broken down qb’s who want another big contract before they ride into the sunset. Rookie or fields absolutely nothing else. We have 2 old broken down qb’s on our roster right now don’t add any more. Sign jacobs ro a revised 3 year contract and try to get jones or queen in free agency. Both would be better.
Field’s will not come to the Raiders, he is not an accurate thrower. He threw Getsy under the bus last year too. I say, draft Bo Nix and sign Cousins for a year or two. Let JJ walk. If we do resign him, don’t give him more than 8 million a year. That would be awesome if we can steal Chris Jones from KC and play with Crosby.
THE RAIDER WAY:
32 teams in the NFL,
THE RAIDERS
& 31 OBSTACLES.
Leave that man alone and the team as well, they don’t need any outside distractions. Get to work boys and let’s see them cook next season RNFL!!!
No Jacobs, White is the man and that will save us 30 mill!! No Fields, we need to draft Bo Nix and let him and O’Connell battle it out. If they work with O’Connell and get his legs moving a bit when he’s in trouble he’ll be a stud cuz he already is!