Do you trust the Las Vegas Raiders coaching staff to develop a franchise quarterback and surround him with the support needed to be a successful pro? That will be the biggest question for franchise owner Mark Davis in the offseason.
Players and coaches dismiss tanking because most of them don’t have the job security to lose purposely and retain their positions, which likely applies to the Raiders’ coaching staff.
At 2-6, the Raiders offense averages just 18 points per game, and the team has had some clock mismanagement issues going back to the preseason. Head coach Antonio Pierce had to call out his players three weeks into the season after an embarrassing home-opening loss to the Carolina Panthers, and he later apologized for doing it.
We’re only halfway through the season, so there’s room for improvement, but at this point, the Raiders’ coaching staff has some ground to make up in the next two months.
Though the coaches cannot control injuries and a star player having a change of heart with a trade request, they could put together a better showing on game days with executive decisions and play-calling.
Coaching staff gaffes and inefficiencies
On Wednesday, Pierce told reporters that maligned offensive coordinator Luke Getsy will retain his play-calling duties, and he “recognizes” the need for improvement. Well, thank goodness Getsy had this epiphany halfway through the season.
Pierce, who took over as an interim head coach last year and instilled a sense of urgency and aggressiveness, leads a more passive operation that’s more conservative and reactionary than proactive this year.
Pierce doesn’t need to fire Getsy now, but the team has to make in-season adjustments with the talent available.
Remember, this is the same coaching staff that needed an entire month to realize running back Zamir White isn’t a good fit in this offensive system. The coaches also watched Gardner Minshew complete 48.4 percent of his passes in the preseason and tabbed him the starter only to bench him twice for inefficiencies, particularly turnovers, within five weeks.
Every coaching staff makes mistakes, but Pierce has a massive staff to help him avoid the pitfalls. But, this team seems to find itself caught in multiple Booby traps.
On top of that, Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline published a report that suggested Pierce’s staff isn’t helpful.
“Ryan, a once-celebrated defensive coordinator, is listed as the team’s ‘Senior Defensive Assistant,’ Pauline wrote. “Lewis, formerly the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals from 2003 to 2015 who also coached with Pierce at Arizona State, is listed as Assistant Head Coach. Detractors close to the situation tell me both Ryan and Lewis have checked out and are basically just in Las Vegas to collect checks.”
Only the players know what’s going on behind closed doors, but at the very least, the Raiders’ coaching staff seems inefficient, considering the team’s mismanagement of the clock and/or misuse of timeouts in crucial situations.
No identity, no future
To be clear, the players haven’t quit on Coach Pierce. They fight for every yard, and a depleted defense has kept this team competitive enough for a shot to win in the last couple of weeks. However, the Raiders still lack an identity two months into the campaign, something Pierce spoke about this week.
While no one expects this team to go on a miraculous midseason run for a playoff berth, how about establishing a foundation for an imminent rebuild?
Even in a three- or four-win season, you can lay the groundwork for what’s to come with a well-coached squad that shows overall improvement over time. Nine weeks into the season, the Raiders struggle mightily to run the ball, the blocking has been inconsistent at best, and fourth-down calls, whether they go for it or not, and clock management seem questionable.
Is that the foundation you want for a rookie or young quarterback? If the Raiders cannot get the basics right or make sound decisions in critical situations, how could they successfully rebuild the roster and the franchise’s winning image?
Pierce and his coaching staff should be evaluated in the offseason following a full campaign. So, the shot-callers, which may include minority stakeholders, Tom Brady and Richard Seymour, can make a full-scope assessment of the team’s progress over a year.
Since Davis took over as principal owner of the franchise for his late father in 2011, the Raiders have had just two winning seasons, and they haven’t won a playoff game on his watch.
While Davis should want stability, he must also get this rebuild right. He shouldn’t just hand over another reclamation project to a staff that hasn’t earned the vote of confidence.
The Raiders must head into the 2025 offseason with a quality coaching staff that works hand in hand with the front office rather than rely on Silver and Black magic for a franchise turnaround.
Maurice Moton covers the Raiders for Sportsnaut. You can follow him on Twitter at @MoeMoton.