Raiders' Coach Pierce Friday Press Conference
HENDERSON, Nev.--The Las Vegas Raiders (7-9) are set to face their AFC West rival, the Denver Broncos (8-8), on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium in what will be the finale to the 2023 NFL regular season.
The season will end with more questions than answers for the Silver and Black. What will owner Mark Davis do with the direction of the franchise?
Despite the questions, this team is united behind the leadership of Interim Coach Antonio Pierce, and the players want him to land this job permanently.
A terrific performance on Sunday will be the last impression the 2023 Las Vegas Raiders can make to their owner, and I expect them to do it.
Earlier today, Pierce addressed the media for his usual Friday press conference ahead of the Broncos game, and we have it for you.
You can watch the entire press conference above and read the transcript below.
Las Vegas Raiders' Coach Antonio Pierce held his final press conference moments ago, ahead of the season finale vs. the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
Darrell Craig Harris, Raiders Today
Interim Coach Antonio Pierce
Q: In terms of better players and guys who might not play, is it full go for everybody in this game?
Coach Pierce: "We're the Raiders. We're playing, we're going to play at a high level. Everybody that can play."
Q: Any updates on Josh Jacobs?
Coach Pierce: "It's a game-time decision, and we'll go out there and do it again. We've done it three weeks in a row. Hopefully, the third time's the charm. But he wants to play, though. We'll see, but we have to be smart."
Q: If you're having conversations with players about that, has it has it encouraged you or surprised you that guys are like, "no"?
Coach Pierce: "No, we had a very open conversation started in our first team meeting on Monday. And if you didn't want to play this game, you had a chance to leave the building. Nobody left."
Q: Could you talk about Denver, how they've changed? Obviously, you guys played them the first game, but just in general, how have changed over the season?
Coach Pierce: "I think confidence is there. I think they've understood what their head coach has asked of them, along with the offensive, defensive coordinators and special teams. You can see the growth and improvement each and every week. You can obviously see there was about a month stretch where they have been playing really, really good football as a team. And I think defensively, they've really stepped up a notch. I mean, they're playing at a very, really high level, giving their offense great opportunities to score points and win games. What I see is a team that's just like us, they're going to play. This is not an exhibition game. This isn't preseason four. This is Week 18, for us, a last game, a divisional game at home. I think it's going to be a really, really good game."
Q: For clarification purposes, you said you had a meeting with the team?
Coach Pierce: "Our normal team meeting, just our normal team meeting. And I asked the question: 'Does anybody not want to play?' And they had the opportunity to stand up and leave, and then I ended the meeting and if they didn't want to play, they could get up and leave again. Nobody left."
Q: With that sentiment, is everybody ready to go?
Coach Pierce: "We're all in."
Q: Wide receiver Davante Adams has obviously spoken about how much he appreciates what you bring to the team, what you brought to this team at the end of the season. And amongst him, other players have talked about the support they have for you. How does it feel for you as a coach and the situation going on?
Coach Pierce: "I'm humbled and honored. I mean, they have an opinion, have a voice, and they're speaking. And they know how I feel about them. Now, I know how they feel about me. It's been stated. I mean, I appreciate it."
Q: You were on the defensive side of it before taking over as head coach. But what would have been your impressions of Davante Adams? He seems like a pro's pro, somebody who gets it on all levels. What have you thought of being his head coach?
Coach Pierce: "Yeah, I mean, he's a guy who comes to work every day. I mean, I start at the beginning of day in meetings, how he prepares, how he preps, his note taking, his film study, his conversations with not just the receiving group, but the offense, the quarterback, our Offensive Coordinator. Then, when you go on the field and just watch the body of work, I mean, he works. This is not a guy who is kind of breezing through year 11, and saying: 'I got it, I made it.' He's trying to get better each and every day. He pushes our guys, he's made our younger defensive backs really, really, really better and a lot more skilled. Because if you're covering the best guy every day, I don't know how you don't get better. It's been impressive to watch how he carries himself both on and off the field. How he talks. I mean, at the end of the day, you're dealing with a guy who, like we talked about, is one of the best in the game and he carries himself as a pro on and off the field."
Q: Have you taken time over these last 10 weeks to think about it and enjoy it?
Coach Pierce: "Yeah, the bye week was kind of cool, I did that during the bye week. But other than that, no sir. It's been focusing on winning each and every game, giving our team the best opportunity, putting ourselves in position to win games, making changes, making adjustments, self-reflection. Not being flat-line with anything we are doing, always trying to find an edge. So, at the end of the day, when will I be satisfied? I always look back to my career, I really didn't reflect on my career, what was going on as I played until I finished. And whenever I get done coaching and if it's here or wherever else it may be, that's when I will reflect. But right now, I'll be honest, I am a very focused on today. My next goal is to have the best practice, our best Friday practice we've ever had. Be fun, be energetic, we're going to enjoy one another, we're going to embrace one another. It's going to be the last time this team is ever together, coaches, players, however you looked at it. Training staff, equipment guys, everybody, this is the last time this group of men and ladies will be together. And we're going to have fun doing it today."
Q: What was the first L.A. Raider game you went to at the Coliseum? Do you remember?
Coach Pierce: "To be honest with you, it was against the Chiefs. There were a lot of fights up in the stands. I was up in the high bleachers too. But yes, it was the Chiefs, that was my first."
Q: Do you remember anything about that game in particular?
Coach Pierce: "I'll be honest, I do not. I mean, when you're young, and again, it was more like these guys were like superheroes to me. I was like: 'Wow,' I was more amazed, not sitting there studying plays and stuff like that. Obviously, I was a big Howie Long fan, so I was watching him. And Bo Jackson was there, and that was cool because that was somebody who -- Bo knows, right. And you're watching all the commercials and I played Tecmo Bowl and it was cool to see it in real life. But I think the one thing I remember from those few games I went to when I was younger was just the atmosphere. It was a rowdy crowd; it was physical out on the field. I mean, that's when I started loving football, when you watch that back in the '80s, the way the Raiders played."
Q: Going for your third win at home, are you starting to see a change as far as the atmosphere and the crowd?
Coach Pierce: "Yeah, I definitely think Raider Nation has shown up, they've been loud. I mean, you hear the banging in 'The Black Hole,' you hear the noise, you hear the Raiders chants throughout the game. You can see our defense really trying to get the crowd going on third downs, our sideline as well going back to the practice squad players, those guys doing their job waving the towels and having a little bit of fun with that, and just keeping the energy up. But I do think there's been a shift, and hopefully you guys have seen as you've been there over the last couple of weeks. And what does that also come from? How do you get there? You’ve got to play well, right. And we got to play well again this Sunday and bring the energy because they're going to match it. We can make this bad boy one of the best stadiums and hardest stadiums to play in, in the National Football League."
Q: What has Jack Jones brought to the team not just on the field but just kind of in that cornerback room? It seems like they all play with a little bit of extra edge now.
Coach Pierce: "Yeah, he's an edgy, swaggy player, extremely confident in his abilities to make plays and to cover. Like there is not a guy -- I mean last year when we scrimmaged and when up against the Patriots, and Jack Jones tried to go up against Davante Adams and it was a clinic for Davante Adams. But the next series he tried to line right back up and do it again. So, that competitive spirit, that ball hawking, that: 'I'm the best, the baddest Raider corner who is out there,' I mean he's now put that little swag -- you can see it. You can see it with the group, and I think collectively they've become a much tighter unit over the last couple of weeks."
Q: What are some big improvements not just throughout the season, but from when you came here to now in Nate Hobbs?
Coach Pierce: "Maturity, understanding the game, film study, becoming more of a student of the game, asking more questions. A lot more vocal in our meeting room and on the field. I mean, when you're that nickel defender, you're really a linebacker, you're in the mix. We're asking him to blitz, get into the run fits, and you see a physicality with Nate [Hobbs]. He embraces that part. To go back off of the previous question, you get a swag and confidence with Jack Jones and the physicality and the mindset and the toughness that Nate [has], you've got a pretty good group of defensive backs there."
Q: When you talk about Jack Jones, just a follow up question, I spoke to him yesterday and he mentioned that last week's game hurt and we obviously saw his reaction. Were you able to have a conversation with him as he looks forward to the next game?
Coach Pierce: "Yeah, I pretty much talk to Jack [Jones] every day. It's been like that for the last 10 years. But yeah, I saw the frustration and hurt, and let's make it known, we didn't lose that game because of Jack Jones and I let him know that. We also won the last two games with Jack Jones, too. So, I just told him that's the life lessons that come about as being a professional football player, the ups and downs. And he's going to have more of those, but we're going to rally around him because when he makes the good plays, we love him up. And like I told our guys when we lose, we love him up the same way. And I think the one thing about Jack is that he's going to come to work each and every day and try to get better, and that's one thing I appreciate about him. He understands it. I just said let's not do it again, though. Let's not do it again and learn from our mistakes."
Q: I know you said earlier in the week you wanted to have the conversation with [Interim General Manager] Champ [Kelly] before you talked about it, but is their decisions in terms of playing time or rotation?
Coach Pierce: "I think I answered it in the beginning, we're all playing. We're playing to win the game. It'll be our best 11 out there. I'll be honest, this is our best 11. Kolton Miller is going to be at left tackle. We've got a starting five O-line, and we're excited about it. The only guy who we've got a question about at this point really is Josh Jacobs. But this group, you guys will be out there for a little bit of practice, just watch. And if I'm wrong, call me out and write it up. But watch these guys practice here for the time that you're out at practice."
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