Win, Lose, or Draw, Raiders' Effort Has Improved

The Las Vegas Raiders lacked many things during the first eight games of the season. Fight and effort weren't traits of this team until Antonio Pierce took over.

When Interim Coach Antonio Pierce became the locker room leader, he didn't promise wins, but he did promise effort. 

Six games later, the Las Vegas Raiders are 3-3. Considering all they've faced off the field and the teams they've met on the field, that is worth celebrating.

The Raiders weren't expected to be Super Bowl contenders this season. They were, however, expected to improve across the board, entering their second season under Coach Josh McDaniels. Through the first eight games of the season, that did not happen. 

While Las Vegas has suffered ugly losses since McDaniels' departure, their effort has come into question at no point since Pierce took over the helm. 

Pierce responded quickly and fairly to Marcus Peters' lack of effort against the Kansas City Chiefs, sending a resounding message to the rest of the team.

"Effort starts when we walk in this door at eight o'clock in the morning," Pierce said. "What's your mindset when you walk in this building? Is it a winning mentality? Is it a loser's mentality or just trying to get through the day? It's not just effort. It's just your mindset.

"Since I've been here on day one, I've always talked about the mindset of our team and being mentally tough and not blinking and being resilient, looking things right in the eye, not worried about adversity. And when you get to the grass, just work. Bad play? Work. Good play? Work. Sit on the bench? Work.

"Everything we do is about working. You got all the other time to have the fun off the field, which you've seen these guys do in the locker room. But it starts with your leaders, too, now."

Pierce credits the influence of his veterans for the turnaround. 

"Watch Maxx Crosby practice, which we all know," Pierce said. "Watch Robert Spillane practice. Watch how Josh Jacobs finishes his runs, Mike Mayer. Look at all these guys and what they do throughout the week, and then that now has resonated throughout the rest of our team.

"When you get some young, fresh blood, some guys who want an opportunity like Malcolm Koonce, Nate Hobbs, Jack Jones, Zamir White, then all of a sudden you get what you're getting on the field. But my hat is off to them.

"I told them at the end of the day, I said again: 'Win, lose or draw, fellas, it's got to look right. It's got to sound right. It's got to smell right,' and as long as we do that, we'll have a chance." 

Pierce has shown his ability to lead a group of professional football players. 

Wins and losses happen weekly in the National Football League. The Raiders aren't playing for wins and losses; they're playing hard and giving maximum effort because they believe Pierce should be their head coach.

The Silver and Black will return to action versus their AFC West rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs, on Christmas Day in Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Don't miss it on Monday, December 25, at 1 p.m. EST/10 a.m. PST.

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