(Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)
When it comes to the Las Vegas Raiders, it feels like there’s a breath of fresh air emanating from the organization these days.
It fired then-head coach Josh McDaniels midway through last season after one and a half lackluster seasons, and it replaced him with Antonio Pierce, a linebackers coach who had limited coaching experience in the NFL.
The Raiders also have another young, emerging coach in Patrick Graham, who has been their defensive coordinator since 2022.
Cornerback Jack Jones praised Graham when asked about a pick-six he had against the Chargers last season, and ESPN’s Mina Kimes tweeted that Graham could become a head coaching candidate in a year if the Raiders’ defense does well.
Jones credits Patrick Graham for putting him in the position to make the play. A guy I think could get some HC buzz next year if the defense keeps it up. https://t.co/eSIBYgCeca
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) August 7, 2024
By all accounts, Las Vegas’ players are very happy with Pierce as their head coach and have a lot of trust in him, which means Graham may have to go elsewhere if he wants to become a head coach.
The Raiders’ defense hasn’t exactly been stellar during his tenure as their defensive coordinator, despite having studs such as Jones and Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby.
However, once Pierce took over, it did show some improvement.
In Pierce’s nine games at the helm, the Raiders held their opponents to 20 or fewer points six times, something they did just three times in their first eight games of the season.
They do have a huge question mark at the quarterback spot, but if they embrace winning with defense, perhaps they can do better than the 8-9 record they had last year.
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