Raiders HC Antonio Pierce Explained Playing OT Thayer Munford at WR in Sunday’s Game

The Raiders made a few headlines after Sunday’s game for rolling out offensive tackle Thayer Munford as a wide receiver on consecutive plays in the fourth quarter.

Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter talked about the play on Monday and said he was giving the coaching staff a “mulligan” for the formation because he knew what they were trying to do.

“There was a play where Thayer Munford was out as a wide receiver. Now as many of you know, there are things that I’m not allowed to tell you because of my access that we get where we get to see plays worked on,” Hondo said on the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast.

Pro Football Post on X (formerly Twitter): “#Raiders had OL Thayer Munford lined up at wide receiver on Gardner Minshew fumble. pic.twitter.com/7R0rFWkUov / X”

Raiders had OL Thayer Munford lined up at wide receiver on Gardner Minshew fumble. pic.twitter.com/7R0rFWkUov

“I am not going to address that play,” Hondo continued. “I have no problem with that play because I have understanding of what they were trying to do. I’m not going to say anything else. I have no problem with that [play]. I can understand why everyone else does, but based upon what I know, I’m going to give a mulligan on that one.”

Insiders might not be able to comment on the gameplan, but head coach Antonio Pierce was willing to address the play at Monday’s press conference.

“[It] was a designed play,” Pierce said. “[We] ate up a corner on that one.”

Based on Pierce’s comments, there was no trick play associated with Munford lining up at wide receiver, and it sounds like the benefit of lining up an offensive tackle at wide receiver was the ability to take a cornerback away from one of the playmakers on the field.

For what it’s worth, the formation with Munford lined up at wide receiver was used on consecutive plays in the fourth quarter.

The first play led to a 7-yard completion to John Samuel Shenker and the second play resulted in a Gardner Minshew fumble.

x: @raidersbeat

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4 thoughts on “Raiders HC Antonio Pierce Explained Playing OT Thayer Munford at WR in Sunday’s Game

  1. Absurdity. That play ran straight up the gut off center.
    I would rather AP just not say anything at all then to take us All for idiots.

  2. I’m confused clearly Munford is lined up on the LOS , that makes him one of the 5 eligible receivers. Why not just use Shorter or another WR. I don’t see any advantage to this set up. In fact it turned out to be a disadvantage because if there is a legitimate receiver out there maybe Minshew rifles a quick pass that way rather than trying to run

  3. Doesn’t using a WR eat up a corner, too? Just saying that ain’t no answer. I was expecting to here we were setting up a screen to that side…

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