Antonio Pierce shows he's the right coach for the job as Raiders beat Browns
By Mike Luciano
The Las Vegas Raiders have proven to be a completely enigmatic team throughout the first four weeks of Antonio Pierce's first full season. The 2-2 team has pulled off some very impressive wins, yet followed it up with some completely stupifying losses.
Pierce faced long odds when it came time to take on the Cleveland Browns. With big names like Davante Adams and Maxx Crosby sitting out against a very strong Browns defense, the Raiders didn't have their big heavy hitters against a team that has been able to be a tough out in the last few years.
With Tre Tucker getting a high volume of targets and a collection of backups on the defensive line, Pierce and the Raiders managed to grind out a 20-16 victory that was capped off by a huge sack of Deshaun Watson after the Browns were driving.
Pierce needs to prove himself after getting a strong vote of confidence from the players, and he appears to have earned one of his finest wins as a coach in this game. If this is the effort the team will get moving forward, the Raiders could do some damage.
Antonio Pierce shows he is the right coach for Raiders after win vs. Browns
Pierce challenged his players publicly this week, as the Raiders' humiliation at the hands of the Carolina Panthers was a sign that not everyone was giving their full effort all the time. The team seems to have responded, as they were fired up against Cleveland.
Pierce also helped orchestrate an offensive gameplan that moved the ball well against a stout defense. Gardner Minshew managed the game, and receivers like Tucker made enough big plays to get behind the defense. Las Vegas ran for over 150 yards against a stout Cleveland front.
While Deshaun Watson has been struggling, the defense was able to put pressure on him without Crosby in a way they weren't able to against Carolina. Pierce may not lead the Raiders to postseason glory this season, but this particular show of management in crisis shows that he is slowly, but surely, getting the finer points of coaching down.
With winnable games against the Broncos, Steelers, and Rams coming up in the next few weeks, Pierce has a chance to reel off a winning streak if everything goes as planned. Pierce doubters are still out there, but wins like this one have to make the fanbase feel confident.