Antonio Pierce calls out Raiders players over ‘business decisions’

Nov 12, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders interim head coach Antonio Pierce enters the field for warm up against the New York Jets at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce did not hold back on his players after an ugly loss to the Carolina Panthers.

The Raiders were embarrassed 36-22 by the Panthers at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Sunday, and one could argue the score was actually kinder to them than they deserved. Las Vegas trailed 33-7 at one point in the fourth quarter to a team that entered winless and made a controversial quarterback change during the week.

Pierce wasted no time in offering a public warning to his team. The head coach said he felt some players made “business decisions” during Sunday’s loss, and that the coaching staff would respond accordingly.

Pierce said he didn’t see this coming and he would have booed too. Said some players “made business decisions” rather than going all out. pic.twitter.com/Nu8iEySJni

— Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) September 22, 2024

“I think there were definitely some individuals that made business decisions,” Pierce told reporters. “And we’ll make business decisions going forward as well.”

In other words, Pierce thinks some Raiders players gave up a bit in the second half when the game turned into a blowout, and suggested those players could face consequences going forward.

The Raiders notched a surprise win over Baltimore last week, and were probably counting on a victory here as well against a Panthers team that looked hopeless in its first two games. Instead, the defense got carved up by Andy Dalton, and the offense was held to one touchdown over the first three quarters. Those are concerning signs all around.

Pierce is in his first full season as Raiders coach and is clearly trying to set a standard. Whether this sort of response will help him set it remains to be seen. He has already faced some criticism this year for some of his own coaching decisions, and there is definitely a risk of taking too rigid an approach. The bigger concern for him and his staff will be to figure out why the team seemed so unprepared for the Panthers to begin with.