Las Vegas Raiders head Coach Antonio Pierce called the product he puts out on the field each week “the worst team in football.”
And he did this in a bizarre manner to heighten interest in what will be the second Black Friday game in NFL history — 2023 marked the first time the league played on the day after Thanksgiving, as woke Commissioner Roger Goodell looks to exploit the game to its maximum financial potential.
The 2-9 Raiders will be facing the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, who lost their first game of the season last week and come in with a 10-1 record.
“Let’s call a spade a spade, the best team in football against the worst team in football,” Pierce said at a Wednesday press conference. “Let’s change the narrative. Let’s go out there and make it a dogfight, let’s make it ugly, let’s make it scrappy.”
HC Antonio Pierce calls the #Raiders the worst team in Football when asked about facing the #Chiefs on Friday:
“Let’s call a spade a spade. Best team in football against the worst team in football. Let’s change the narrative.”
Is he trying to get fired?? pic.twitter.com/UeRBUVU2v5
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) November 27, 2024
“It’s Black Friday, let’s create a little chaos, let’s get back to Raider football and have some fun and some personality. Let it loose,” he added.
The Raiders do get back their starting QB from earlier this year, Aidan O’Connell, who returns from a broken thumb just as the recent starter Gardner Minshew was lost for the season with a broken collarbone.
“We feel good about Aidan. He’s been dialed in,” Pierce said, according to Pro Football Talk. “Obviously throughout this time he’s been on IR, he’s been in all the meetings; he’s been very encouraging on the sideline. He has that laser-eye focus right now. Great opportunity for him.”
“He carried himself like a starter. He carried himself like a starter even when he was on IR. He did that when he was a backup,” Pierce said. “He did a great job of being engaged with the players, engaged on the sideline, in meeting rooms. He’s the one speaking up, talking. You can just look at his eyes; you look at his demeanor.”
The Raiders are currently in a race to the bottom with the New York Giants and Jacksonville Jaguars, the reward for the worst record being the #1 pick on the 2025 NFL draft.
Here’s a quick sampling of responses to the story, as seen on X:
At least he’s self aware
— (@the_det_times) November 27, 2024
You are what your record says you are. Fire him for being honest or what?
— ShopTalk ☠️ (@ShopTalk_702) November 27, 2024
Worst record (2-9) and worst losing streak with 7 losses in a row. That said, if the Raiders beat the Chiefs it will absolutely change the narrative.
Aidan O’Connell will start at QB and he is the last QB to beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead.— The GOAT (@TheG0ATPlays) November 28, 2024
My football team is doomed
— Juju (@Jujutalksball) November 27, 2024
Antonio Pierces coaching mentality never fails! pic.twitter.com/LfPMu1cqgZ
— RevakGoneRogue (@RevakGoneRogue) November 27, 2024
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