Anyone who watched the Raiders beat the Super Bowl champion Chiefs on Christmas Day knows that Antonio Pierce unleashed a physical style of football when he took over as Las Vegas’ interim coach. .
The Raiders physically dominated Kansas City, and Kansas City used the beatdown as motivation to win again this season. So how did Pierce get his players to react like that? When did it start?
In a wide-ranging and insightful interview, Pearce told the Pivot Podcast that it started on day one of his administration. Specifically, his first practice in charge of the Raiders.
“We go out to practice. It’s Nov. 1. We put our pads on: 15 straight plays. We ran them all,” Pierce said, making a gesture with his hands suggesting the team would move down the field. Ta. “[Then we] Bring it back. I did that for an hour.straight training camp [stuff].
“I said, we need to get rid of that aggression, that anger. We need to get back to playing physical football. Please believe me,” he said. Let’s trust each other and do it together. ”
It’s impressive that Pierce was able to provide inspiration to the Raiders’ roster during a shortened midseason training camp. His actual physicality is generally limited in his NFL today. Additionally, Pierce’s roster was already fraught with frustration due to the Raiders’ previous regime under former coach Josh McDaniels.
Pierce’s recollection of that day speaks to his commitment to discipline as a coach. Team owner Mark Davis said that was one of the reasons Pierce got the full-time job in Las Vegas.
That fits well with his reputation as a coach who can relate to his players. As most people know, Pierce was a middle linebacker for the Super Bowl-winning Giants. His motivational skills were evident as he led the Raiders to a 5-4 record and salvaged what had been a horribly unsuccessful season to finish the 2023 season.
Pierce has capitalized on his players’ innate love of soccer. No matter how much the sport evolves, physicality remains the most important part of the sport. When the Raiders performed well last season, it was clear that they love football and therefore love attacking opponents. Pierce will try to solidify it again as part of the Raiders’ identity, just as it was during the franchise’s heyday.
