Needless to say, this season didn't turn out the way the Raiders had planned. After a 2-2 start, superstar wide receiver Davante Adams requested a trade and the team hasn't won a game since, losing to the Dolphins for the sixth straight time on Sunday.
Adams now plays for the Jets and injuries are piling up on the Las Vegas defense. As a result, coach Antonio Pierce has difficulty fielding a competitive team on game day.
Or is Pierce simply the wrong man to lead the Raiders? Could team owner Mark Davis move on from Pierce after hiring him as a full-time coach less than a year ago?
Accordingly it appears “unlikely” that Davis will bring Pierce back next season, citing the presence of minority owner and NFL star Tom Brady. Kendall listed the Raiders at No. 29 in his latest NFL power rankings and said Pierce's spot is already hot.
Antonio Pierce is 7-12 in two seasons after the Raiders fell to Miami on Sunday. They switched back and forth between quarterbacks all year and didn't feel like a threat in the AFC West or anywhere else. Jakobi Meyers was the leading rusher in Las Vegas on Sunday with a 20-yard run. At least there's Brock Bowers, who had 13 catches for 126 yards against the Dolphins. With new minority owner Tom Brady in the building, it seems unlikely that majority owner Mark Davis will join Pierce as head coach.
Pierce's fate likely depends on his team's performance in the final seven weeks of the season. As Kendall notes, poor quarterback play has held the team back all year, so it will be difficult for Pierce and the Raiders to come out strong.
If the Raiders continue to lose by wide margins, Pierce could be gone for good by the end of the season. But as long as the team shows improvement, even slight, Pierce will likely return. The offense looked better under new offensive coordinator Scott Turner, and that bodes well for Pierce.
Davis knew Pierce had little experience when he hired him, and I don't think he'll be handing Pierce his credentials any time soon, even if Brady disagrees. Davis explained that he wanted Brady to find him a quarterback and not make decisions that would normally be left to the majority owner. So I think it's likely that Pierce, who was hand-picked by Davis, will remain as the Raiders' coach.
However, Pierce's fate is unclear, so Kendall might be right. We'll see what happens next when this frustrating campaign comes to an end in Las Vegas.
