Raiders coach Antonio Pierce accused some players of making “business decisions” during the 36-22 loss to the Carolina Panthers and stated he is open to making changes himself.
Pierce stood by his comments when he spoke to the media on Monday, but on Wednesday, he said any decisions would be kept between him and the team.
If Pierce and his staff decide to make changes to the roster, they won’t announce specifics until Sunday when Las Vegas plays the Browns.
What’s clear is that the Raiders need to improve in some way—whether it’s their execution, strategies, or attitude—when Cleveland comes to town. Regardless, Pierce seems to have quickly shifted focus to the next opponent, following a style similar to Bill Belichick.
“There’s no panic button,” Pierce said. “We’re not throwing out our parachutes and jumping off the plane. We’re good. It was a loss and it was a tough loss, and we move on.”
How many changes Pierce can make is uncertain. He already mentioned that he will stick with Gardner Minshew at quarterback, and injuries have limited how many other players he can swap.
Both Las Vegas and Cleveland are 1-2 and need a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Only 42 teams have made the postseason after starting 1-3 since the league merger.
The situation changed quickly for the Raiders, who just a week ago celebrated a win in Baltimore, 26-23. Then, winless Carolina came to Las Vegas and taught them a tough lesson about respecting every opponent.
The Panthers came in with a new starting quarterback, Andy Dalton, after winning only twice in their last 19 games.
This led to Pierce’s “business decisions” remark after the game, where the Raiders once trailed 33-7, suggesting that some players prioritized their own well-being over the team’s once the game slipped away.
It’s rare for a coach to be so direct in public, and it could lead to some tension in the locker room.
Up to this point, players have strongly supported Pierce and played a key role in his appointment as head coach after he took over on an interim basis midway through last season.
“Just curious to see how we respond in general, not just based off of what he said,” wide receiver Davante Adams said. “It shouldn’t take a coach to say something to you to get you fired up and motivated to turn it around. So just looking to see how the guys respond, myself included.”
The coaches and players met on Monday to talk about what happened in Baltimore and how they could move forward.
Adams didn’t share specifics about the discussion but mentioned, “there was obviously a lot of accountability and a lot of discussion … just communication in general to get on the same page.”
Running back Zamir White said he felt more positive about the team’s direction after the meeting.
“It wasn’t just about the players,” White said. “It was about everybody. We really got personal. We talked a lot about what we learned from and we move from the last game.”
The strange thing about last week is that the Raiders felt confident, with Pierce even calling Thursday’s practice the best of the season.
Pierce said he wouldn’t make such statements again, but he stood by his comment.
“We compete on Thursdays with our scout team, so there weren’t no gimmes,” Pierce said. “Friday was a good day. Saturday was a good day. Sunday was a bad day.”
But he realized in the first drive, where the Panthers went 70 yards on nine plays to score a touchdown, that the Raiders were in trouble.
This week is about having more practices like Thursday’s and figuring out how to carry that performance into game day.
