With a 2-8 record after their sixth straight loss, the Raiders' season is over. There will be no playoffs and there is little reason to believe they will win more than one or two more games before the campaign officially ends.
But first-year coach Antonio Pierce still has a job to do. First and foremost, he must ensure that his players show professionalism and fight hard to win on match day. After Las Vegas' recent loss to the Dolphins on Sunday, he said he didn't see a player on his roster or anywhere else give up.
“What I see from our players is that no one is going to give up,” Pierce said . “I don’t see anyone quitting in this building. I see no reason to give up on our employees; I see everyone trying to find ways and answers in a very uncertain situation with injuries and everything else going on with our team this year.”
As Pierce alluded to, the Raiders' defense has been devastated by injuries, including Sunday in Miami was tested and ultimately failed. When Pierce mentioned “everything else,” he probably meant the Davante Adams trade a few weeks ago.
Regardless of what Pierce sees from his players and staff, the next few weeks will test the team's endurance. The Raiders will face their AFC West rivals in their next two games: first the Broncos and then the Chiefs in a nationally televised game. Rivalry games could help Pierce motivate his team, like he did last year during his tenure as interim coach.
But if Las Vegas ends up losing handily, things will look bad for Pierce. Even if no one gives up, all players and staff simply have to get better in order to end this lost season on a positive note, as Pierce envisions.
