Antonio Pierce has brutally honest take on Chiefs-Raiders matchup
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 was perhaps a bit too honest on Wednesday while previewing Friday’s Week 13 game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Pierce called the Raiders the “worst team in football” when comparing them to the Chiefs, though he seemed to be trying to sum up what the external narrative would be around the game.
“Let’s call a spade a spade. Best team in football against the worst team in football,” Pierce told reporters. “Let’s change the narrative. Let’s go out there and make it a dog fight, make it ugly, make it scrappy.”
#Raiders HC Antonio Pierce on Friday's game vs. the Chiefs: "Let's call a spade a spade. Best team in football against the worst team in football. Let's change the narrative." pic.twitter.com/P9CCAaaCDa
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) November 27, 2024
By record, Pierce is correct, at least. The Raiders are one of three teams to post a 2-9 mark at this point of the season. The Chiefs are one of two teams sitting at 10-1. Despite that, hearing Pierce refer to his team as the worst — even if he might just be echoing outside voices — might not be the best tactic.
One of the reasons Pierce initially had some success and was brought back as coach was because he wasn’t afraid to be blunt and call players out. That cuts both ways. Now that the Raiders are on their way to a lost season, people might not be quite as sympathetic to a message like this.
