Las Vegas Raiders Coach Antonio Pierce held his Monday press conference moments ago, and we have it all for you.
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00:00 >> So the move on Marcus Peters, what was the process on that?
00:04 And who does this open the door for?
00:07 >> Yeah, just decided to move forward.
00:09 Wish Marcus Peters the best.
00:10 We had a great conversation last night, great conversation this morning.
00:13 And we'll just stick with that.
00:16 >> In terms of replacing him?
00:19 >> Well, I don't think he's really replacing by his next man mentality, right?
00:22 We got some young guys here, JB, Jack Jones, who's got here.
00:26 Hopefully get some more guys healthy in the mix.
00:29 Just a great opportunity for some of our younger players.
00:30 >> AP, earlier in the year you had done a review and you had talked,
00:36 I'm not quoting but paraphrasing, about getting a system in place.
00:39 When you did the review yesterday, did somebody up top tell you to review it or
00:43 is it just gut?
00:45 >> You're talking about a challenge?
00:46 >> Yes, sir. >> Yeah, yeah, yeah, we have somebody upstairs.
00:48 >> Okay.
00:49 Thank you.
00:50 >> So we saw Jack Jones came in in that second half and
00:54 got the opportunity to play a little bit for the first time since joining the team.
00:57 What did you think of his performance after you watched the tape?
01:00 >> Yeah, it was good to see him get some more reps than the week before against
01:03 Miami.
01:04 Obviously, he's gonna be a work in progress, learn the system and scheme.
01:07 But the athleticism is there, the skills to cover what we wanna do from
01:12 a schematic standpoint with PG and defense.
01:16 He gives us some opportunities to make some plays and obviously,
01:18 as we go forward, his reps will grow with the confidence that the coaches have
01:23 within them.
01:24 >> With Ja'Cory and Ben, I know he started the season and
01:26 he had some injuries and some ups and downs along the way.
01:29 What's sort of gone into his progression and
01:31 how do you think he could maybe finish strong with his last part of the season?
01:34 >> I think when you're a rookie, you go through the roller coaster, right?
01:38 The ups and downs.
01:38 Start here at the high, start and play well, get nicked up a little bit,
01:41 confidence, maybe a play or two here you wish you could take back.
01:44 And I think what Ja'Cory's done a really good job of is just being a student
01:48 of the game.
01:48 He asks a lot of questions on the side.
01:50 He's a sponge.
01:53 Sometimes when you take a step back, it's gonna be a positive going forward for us.
01:57 And I really think that's gonna be the case with JB.
01:59 He's in good spirits, just stays engaged.
02:02 Again, every week is a new week.
02:03 And when we get back, we'll assess it and see how it goes.
02:06 And I'm sure he won't be out to line up too long.
02:09 >> Do you keep an eye on that, especially as a former player that maybe has gone
02:12 through some ups and downs, in terms of how they're handling that,
02:16 sometimes the natural progression of this, where you do have to take a step back?
02:20 >> Right, I think it's fine.
02:21 I mean, remember my career, started here.
02:25 Sometimes you need to take a step back, really see the big pictures,
02:28 cuz you get caught up in the mix.
02:29 And look, he's been training since December of last year, almost a full year.
02:32 Your body is not used to the college football season just ended.
02:36 You always hear about that rookie wall.
02:37 I think that's real, not just mentally, not just physically, but mentally as well.
02:42 And I think there's nothing wrong with resetting a young player,
02:45 allowing them to take a step back, learn from some older guys,
02:48 get some more coaching time individually, more film study.
02:51 And then get better on the practice field, and then hopefully shows up on game day.
02:56 >> AP, there's been 179 NFL games played so far this year, and only two teams,
03:01 you and the Eagles have had a game with no penalties.
03:03 It's the first time since 2000 the Raiders have done it.
03:07 It plagued this team prior to you taking over.
03:09 What have you done to clean that up so dramatically?
03:12 >> I think just attention to details.
03:14 I really, you look at, I think the first hand was three, three, then five.
03:17 It gets it off as in zero.
03:19 We're trending in the right way.
03:20 Obviously, that's a negative.
03:21 You hear most coaches say just three max.
03:23 You know what I mean?
03:24 I'm saying why three at all?
03:25 I think guys have really done a good job and really go to our coaches,
03:28 the technique, the fundamentals that we talk about in practice.
03:32 I mean, we still got four or five individual periods each and
03:34 every day that we work on those things.
03:35 The longer, the later in the season you get, you can't have all the reps, right?
03:39 So now you get more into the sound and being fundamentally sound as a team.
03:42 And that's what we wanna be, taking care of the football,
03:44 something else we did really well yesterday.
03:46 We've had two games like that in the last four.
03:48 So just having those progressions, right, each and every week.
03:51 Last week, just go back, three turnovers, five penalties.
03:55 This week, no turnovers, no penalties.
03:57 And that's what you wanna see with your team growing,
03:59 especially in the later part of the season.
04:00 >> Coach, enough of your career as a player and a coach.
04:02 What would you say are some positives you can take away from having a bye
04:05 later in the season?
04:06 >> Get healthy, get healthy.
04:08 12 straight weeks in National Football League, that's tough, that's tough.
04:13 That's hard on the body.
04:15 And for our guys, they fought, saw Mike Scrosby, did a hell of a job.
04:18 Coming out there, Cole Miller coming back.
04:20 For those guys to come back and not have an extra seven or so days to get ready
04:23 before our next game, before we play the Vikings, it's huge for our team.
04:27 Also, I think it's also an opportunity for us to reset mentally.
04:31 It's been a lot of trying times this year, a lot of ups and downs.
04:35 And you sit back, you reset, you think about it, spend some time with your family.
04:40 And then come towards the end of the week, you start missing football again.
04:43 That Friday, that Saturday, Sunday, you're not playing.
04:45 Get these guys back in the building on Monday, and we're ready to roll.
04:49 >> There's reports out that Rodney Teamer is being waived.
04:51 Is that something you can comment on?
04:52 >> Yeah, we decided to part ways.
04:54 >> Obviously, there was an incident that kind of led to that.
04:57 What's the lesson of that for your team?
05:01 Is it worth having a conversation with the team about it?
05:03 >> Yeah, it is.
05:04 I mean, just making smart decisions.
05:06 I think it goes for all of us.
05:07 Ultimate respect for Teamer as a person.
05:10 Got to know him well, had a lot of good conversations with him.
05:13 Wishing him the best.
05:13 Sometimes it's wrong timing, bad timing, and this is one of those cases.
05:18 So I can move forward, but I think all our guys need to understand this.
05:22 Whatever you do on and off the field affects the decisions that are gonna be
05:25 made in this building, and we're gonna do the best to protect the brand,
05:28 the shield, and the Raiders organization.
05:30 >> AP, several of your players on both sides of the ball have discussed
05:34 their input in the game plan.
05:35 It's being listened to, it's being acclimated.
05:38 How much of that comes from your experience as a player,
05:41 where you felt like, man, I could offer, I need you to listen to me?
05:43 Or how much does it just come from a coaching philosophy?
05:46 >> A little bit of both.
05:48 I've been coaching for quite a while now, and obviously played as well.
05:50 I think the input that you get there, especially from your good players, right?
05:55 I know you talked about them, right?
05:56 Jacobs and Devontae.
05:58 You'd be foolish not to listen to them, what they think works best for them,
06:03 what they can do.
06:04 I think that you didn't have to incorporate within what you're trying to do
06:07 with your scheme, and does that fit in for this opponent?
06:10 And every week it doesn't work out that way.
06:11 Some weeks it's 100%, we take everything, all the input.
06:14 Other weeks it's like, we gotta put this on the back burner.
06:16 But what it also then does is it put everybody together, right?
06:19 Players, the coaches, they're connected, they're working with one another.
06:22 It's a team win, it's a team loss, like I said that before.
06:26 I think it's important that everybody has a voice,
06:30 but at the end of the day, myself, the quarter, just have to make that decision.
06:35 >> Coach, what's the biggest area of progression you've noticed in
06:37 Daniel Connell's game just now, five games, good sample size.
06:41 What's a big area that you've noticed in that?
06:43 >> Much calmer, more poised on the sideline.
06:46 Doesn't look rattled, doesn't look kind of wide-eyed a little bit.
06:49 I do think the game is slowing down, I don't think it's there yet.
06:51 That takes a while for all of us.
06:54 But I do see a guy that's progressing as far as his mental capacity,
06:59 what we're able to do.
07:00 Are we doing more with him?
07:02 I don't know.
07:03 Are we doing less with him?
07:04 I don't know.
07:04 I think we're doing just enough to allow him to have a pretty good performance.
07:08 Took care of football, O-line did a great job.
07:11 He didn't get hit until late in the fourth quarter.
07:13 Didn't get sacked until the second to last play.
07:15 Understand now to get rid of the ball.
07:16 I think he has a good command of our offense, in this in and out.
07:20 A huddle, and those are all things that we can still improve on.
07:22 So I would just say just the overall quarterback play.
07:24 I think Jimmy and Brian Hoyer have done an outstanding job with him as well,
07:27 from meetings to practice.
07:28 You see that now carried over into the field on the end day.
07:31 >> Your show as far as the second half target,
07:34 something that you mentioned was a little confused and frustrated.
07:36 What was your sense watching the film?
07:38 >> Yeah, I just, like I always say,
07:42 we try to find the best way you can to get the ball to 17 and 8, right?
07:45 The main two guys there.
07:47 Sometimes it doesn't work out.
07:48 Either we miss the throw, we don't see the throw, we don't see the player.
07:52 Or it's designed for somebody else.
07:55 A lot of factors go into it, but
07:57 there's never a play where we're not looking for 17 for the most part.
08:00 But obviously, you gotta throw to the open receiver.
08:02 And everything else gotta play a part, right?
08:04 Protection, the reads, things of that nature.
08:07 So obviously, frustrating for him, frustrating for me,
08:10 because that's a good football player.
08:11 You saw how the game started, and we wanted to end that way.
08:14 And we'll continue to work on that throughout the bottom of the game.
08:16 >> Do you think yesterday the offense in the second half struggles was more
08:21 Kansas City's adjustments or Raiders' failure to execute?
08:25 >> You never gonna knock another team, but it's Raiders.
08:28 There's open players.
08:29 We have opportunities, I'll say that.
08:32 There's opportunities there.
08:34 The difference in that game, to be honest, is look at the statutes.
08:36 58 plays, 58 plays.
08:37 Right time, possession, minute, give or take.
08:39 We outrushed them almost double.
08:42 Red zone.
08:45 They're three for three, we're one for three.
08:46 Seven explosive plays over 15 for us, 17 for them.
08:50 They just made them their later part.
08:52 We start off very hot.
08:53 We didn't continue that.
08:55 And when you play a team like that,
08:57 they're gonna make the most of their opportunities.
08:59 Patrick Mahomes and them did that.
09:01 They did a good job.
09:02 And when we had them, this happened, that happened.
09:07 And that's the difference between winning or losing, man.
09:09 Be honest, three or four plays in a game, especially when you play a clean game
09:13 like we played yesterday, there's no turnovers, there's no penalties.
09:16 There's nothing of that nature.
09:17 Just who made, Jimmies and Jones.
09:19 I always go back to that, Jimmies and Jones.
09:21 >> You mentioned the game slowing down for Aiden O'Connell,
09:23 then you said it's slowing down for us.
09:25 How much has it slowed down for you as the head coach?
09:27 >> Each and every game get better, right?
09:30 Hopefully, some people say you're getting worse.
09:31 That's cool, everybody got an opinion, you know what that is.
09:33 But for me overall, just understanding how we operate, working with Pat,
09:40 working with Tom, being side by side with Bo,
09:43 working with Matt Sheldon, with the game management.
09:49 That takes time, and I get it.
09:51 I'm racing time now, right?
09:53 Clock is ticking, right?
09:54 It's almost over, I get it.
09:55 But the best part about it, I know whenever this is over and I've gotten better.
09:59 It'd be a better AP than everything happens again, so I'm fine with that.
10:03 >> You talk about the players getting healthy and all that, but what about for
10:08 you, there's been a lot on your plate too this last month.
10:10 What happened with that, Antonio, for these next few days?
10:13 >> Get right.
10:14 Got five weeks, get right.
10:16 If I don't get right, I have a lot more time off for the two weeks.
10:21 I can do the math.
10:22 >> Antonio, as a first time head coach, as an interim coach, how tough or
10:26 how easy is it to come to the decision to release somebody like Marcus Peters and
10:30 deal with the team situation as well?
10:32 >> Yeah, it's always difficult when you have to release a player.
10:35 That conversation I don't look forward to.
10:37 Hate it, to be honest, I hate it.
10:39 It's not good, it's not a good feeling.
10:40 Me and MP had some good conversations throughout this entire process.
10:46 When I was a linebacker coach, when we first got here, on and off the field,
10:50 somebody I respect as a person, I respect what he's done in his game.
10:53 He's professional, but it's a business.
10:58 We're all gonna get cut, we're all gonna get fired.
11:00 Get hired to get fired, right?
11:01 So he understands that, I understand that.
11:04 It's a part of business that we all hate ourselves.
11:06 >> One more, Hunter.
11:07 >> You've seen general managers as a player and as a coach, and
11:12 Champ believes in you, and I'm just curious,
11:14 what are your thoughts of him as a general manager and the job he's doing?
11:18 >> I think it goes hand in hand.
11:19 If we're not partners in this and walking side by side, that's a problem.
11:23 And you've seen really good relationships in the NFL from afar.
11:26 And I think what Champ has done, which I really appreciate, is he has his opinion,
11:32 he has his thought and his vision, but he brings it to me before he even says anything,
11:36 he asks me my own.
11:37 And I think if we agree or disagree, we walk out understanding what's best for
11:42 the organization, what's best for the team, what's best for us.
11:45 And when you have that, then there's no hidden agenda, and everything's out in
11:48 the open, it's black and white, there's no gray in this room.
11:51 There's no gray in this building.
11:51 Everybody knows where to stand.
11:53 Me and Champ know where each other stand.
11:54 We know what the vision and the culture, and what we want this to look like for
11:58 whatever many weeks we got going forward.
12:00 And we're gonna do our damndest to make it happen.
12:01 And we'll let the chips fall where they fall at the end of the day.
12:05 >> All right, thank you, Coach.
12:06 >> Thanks, AP.
12:06 >> Yes, sir, love.
12:07 [BLANK_AUDIO]