The Las Vegas Raiders bought their doorways blown off by the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, drawing the ire of head coach Antonio Pierce in his postgame information convention.
Pierce lamented the hassle of his gamers and instructed reporters that some made “enterprise selections” on the sphere. He additionally steered that gamers who made stated selections put their jobs in danger.
“They didn’t [show up],” Pierce stated. “I believe as the sport went on — I don’t assume was the crew — I believe there have been positively some people that made enterprise selections. And we’ll make enterprise selections going ahead as effectively.”
Raiders coach Antonio Pierce after Sunday’s loss.
“I believe as the sport went on — I do not assume it was the crew — I believe there was positively some people that made enterprise selections. And we’ll make enterprise selections going ahead, as effectively.”pic.twitter.com/CPTinIi49J
— Terrible Asserting (@awfulannouncing) September 23, 2024
Pierce did not title names. And we’re not going to invest right here on the job safety of particular person gamers based mostly on Pierce’s allusions. However it’s honest to say that the Raiders as people and as a complete placed on one of many worst efforts of the NFL season on Sunday.
As soon as woeful Panthers offense catches hearth vs. Raiders
The Panthers entered Sunday embroiled in turmoil, having scored a single landing and a mixed 13 factors in losses to the Saints and Chargers to open the season. Theirs was the worst offense in soccer.
They benched quarterback and former No. 1 total draft decide Bryce Younger in favor of veteran backup Andy Dalton on Monday. In a 36-22 win over the Raiders, Dalton recalled his former Professional Bowl type (final seen with Bengals in 2016) in top-of-the-line passing performances of the younger NFL season.
Dalton accomplished 70% of his passes for 319 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers towards a hapless Raiders protection. It was the primary time this season an NFL quarterback has thrown for 300 yards and three touchdowns in a single recreation. The Panthers produced a 100-yard rusher in Chuba Hubbard (114 yards) and a 100-yard receiver in Diontae Johnson (122 yards, 1 TD).
Sure, that they had a brand new quarterback. However this was the highest-scoring Panthers effort since 2022 and solely the second time for the reason that begin of the 2023 season that they’ve scored 30-plus factors. Dalton was a dramatic enchancment over Younger, however the Raiders gave little resistance.
The Raiders’ offense wasn’t a lot better. Las Vegas tacked on 15 meaningless factors within the fourth quarter. However the recreation was over by the point the Panthers took a 33-7 lead early within the fourth. This all occurred in a Raiders dwelling recreation.
“It’s not ok, clearly,” Pierce stated. “The gang was prepared. Respect the gang. Everyone did their half. They confirmed up. We didn’t.
“The scheme wasn’t ok. … What we thought was gonna work didn’t work. On the grass we didn’t execute. Nor did we put up the hassle that now we have put up in video games previous. … We bought our ass whooped.”
Raiders leaders and Professional Bowlers Davante Adams and Maxx Crosby had been each requested their ideas on Pierce’s “enterprise selections” remark. Neither selected to invest on which gamers Pierce was referencing.
“I really feel like, I do not know — that is robust for me to determine that,” Adams stated, per ESPN. “I am unsure.”
Crosby elaborated extra, however likewise stayed out of the fray of naming names.
“I do not know,” Crosby stated. “There’s loads of issues. You have to watch the movie. Simply wasn’t ok. Only a dangerous loss. I imply, s***ty. We did not play our greatest soccer. …
“We have got lots of people that must look within the mirror. Everyone’s bought to proceed getting higher. It is not the top of the world, nevertheless it’s a wake-up name, you already know what I imply? We have got to be higher.”
A former NFL linebacker, Pierce is in his first full-time season because the Raiders’ head coach after incomes the job final season in 9 video games with an interim tag. He earned the job partly due to his good relationships and skill to attach with gamers.
Sunday marks a low level in his tenure and the primary important signal of tumult within the locker room since Pierce took over. How he and the Raiders reply shifting ahead will go a great distance in defining his tenure in Las Vegas.
