VRABEL TO VEGAS: Raiders Eye Former Titans Award-Winning Head Coach as Pierce’s Replacement.
‘Plenty of Chatter’ Raiders Plan to Replace Antonio Pierce With Award-Winning HC.
Antonio Pierce with Mark Davis.
The Las Vegas Raiders took a big risk promoting Antonio Pierce to full-time head coach after he served in the interim role last season. So far, the risk has not paid off as the team is 2-10, which is tied for the worst record in the NFL.
The Raiders fired a head coach last year when they let go of Josh McDaniels so firing two head coaches in two years isn’t a great look for the struggling franchise. That said, owner Mark Davis may not want to double down on a coach who has as little experience as Pierce has. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio gave some insight into the coach’s status and even revealed who many believe will replace him.
“I feel like it’s a foregone conclusion [that Pierce will be fired],” Florio said on the Dec. 3 episode of “Rich Eisen Show.” “The game management on Friday was horrendous. We got so caught up in that botched snap and then was it an illegal shift? Was it a false start? Was it a live ball? We forget about the fact that Antonio Pierce said his objective in that moment was to have Aidan O’Connell throw the ball away and burn off four or five more seconds. Dude, all you had to do was wait to spike the ball on the prior play.
“When kids play Madden and they understand how to manage these game situations as well as anyone,” Florio continued. “When an NFL head coach fails a critical game situation it becomes even more glaring, so I think it’s become a foregone conclusion and there’s plenty of chatter that Mike Vrabel is going to end up there.”
Would Mike Vrabel Be the Right Replacement?
Vrabel is starting to get linked to the Raiders more and more due to his connection to Tom Brady. The two were teammates for years on the New England Patriots and have maintained a close relationship. Now that Brady is a part owner of the Raiders, he may push for Vrabel to get the job if it becomes open.
Though the coach was fired from his previous job with the Tennessee Titans, he was named NFL Coach of the Year in 2021 and had a 54-45 record. He has a proven track record of success as a head coach and should be one of the top candidates available this offseason. If the Raiders feel like he could be an upgrade over Pierce, they should strongly consider making the move.
Can Pierce Save His Job?
The Raiders are already eliminated from playoff contention so there’s not much left to play for this season. However, Pierce could still be coaching for his job. It’s hard to imagine Davis wants to fire yet another head coach and he was a big fan of what Pierce did last season.
The problem facing him is that the Raiders have been marred by questionable game management all season which has contributed to losses. Pierce does not call plays so they need him to be great at game management. If he can show improvement there while also winning three or four more games to close the season, he may have a chance to keep the job.