The Raiders were embarrassed last week by the lowly Panthers, and they will try to bounce back this week without their two best players.
It would be an understatement to say the odds are stacked against the Raiders right now, but Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter thinks head coach Antonio Pierce pushed the right buttons this week and the team is going to bounce back.
In fact, it sounds like ‘Uncle Hondo’ thinks a win will be in the cards this week for the Raiders…
“I think his best leadership has happened since the moment that game concluded,” Carpenter said of Pierce on the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast. “I don’t want to give too much away, but last week in that locker room, he made it very clear to his team what he felt. Then he walked out to the podium and made it even more clear.”
“He made it clear all week to the team where he was, what his expectations were,” Hondo continued. “I talked to some guys this week that very easily could have pointed fingers, but they didn’t. It’s not their character. And I am not a mouthpiece for the organization. I don’t speak for the organization. I’m not paid by Mark Davis. The easy road for me to take after the way they played and down six guys [is that] they’re going to lose. That’s not what I think.”
That’s a lot to digest, but there’s more…
“I have worked the phones,” Hondo said. “I’ve been in the locker room. I’ve been at practice. I’ve been here in the building. There has not been one person pointing fingers. Not one. Everybody’s been taking the ‘It’s me’ approach.”
“My job is to report to you and take you inside this building,” Hondo continued. “And I think if 90 percent of you who have any clue on human nature were in this building, could see what I have seen, listen to what I’ve listened to, read what I’ve read, and been able to converse with people. This is not the Raiders of old. This is not what I’ve seen over five years. This is not people privately giving you excuses to try to pad it. So when the team does not succeed, there’s a little cushion. These guys are throwing wood on the fire. They want this game. They need this game.”
x: @raidersbeat
I like and respect Coach Pierce, but for some of the 4th and short I’m still undecided, I like his approach to the game, and his ability to have a good rapport with his team is old-school Raiders which we need to go back to.
Excuse my languages as a fan for this long 50+, I have never seen Raiders team with no juice, every year is the same old same old. Front office and Head Coaches need to do something fast.
Hondo your the man. I Feel same way about this game. Was thinking Chargers game from last year result. Lol. Lets Go Raiders!
First am a Die-Hard Raider fan for over 50 years, ask ex-wife lol, I’ve seen this act before, now you will see deep inside this football team, when your hurt and losing, that’s when your real CHARACTER Shows up !!!!!!!!!
I think that now is the perfect opportunity to rally up the players and start getting down to basics. Just win baby! We have good talent. Even with the injuries, we can muster up the strength to win.
How can you tell the responded to AP? They haven’t played yet ! You are full of *#$@!!!!!!
I mean, would Honda tell us if the Raiders players didn’t seem like they were responding? Every time the Raiders have a team meeting, the reporting is always positive from certain reporters and outlets.
None of it matters if the players and coaches aren’t good enough to be more than a mediocre team. I hope he’s right!
I’m watching the game if they lose this game he has to go