Las Vegas Raiders Coach Antonio Pierce's Tuesday press conference after beating the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day.
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00:00 >> Good morning. >> Morning.
00:06 >> You stay in Kansas City?
00:07 >> Yeah. >> [LAUGH]
00:08 >> So that when the clock hit 0, 0, 0, what went through your mind?
00:13 Solid emotions on the field.
00:14 >> Yeah, finally, finally, right?
00:17 60 minutes of football, what we've been working towards.
00:21 It probably wasn't pretty all across the board in all three phases, but as a team,
00:26 it's what we talked about at the beginning of the week on Tuesday, Wednesday,
00:30 all the way until that Sunday night before the meeting.
00:33 I thought guys did a good job of just sticking with the plan and
00:37 kind of grinding it out.
00:38 So yeah, a lot of emotions there, just, listen, man,
00:41 you seem to be fighting hard to get one of those wins on the road against very qualified
00:44 and Super Bowl champs, man, beat them at their place.
00:48 That's hard to do.
00:49 >> What did it tell you about the offensive line where they're able to open up holes
00:52 for Zameer when everyone in the building knows you're gonna run the run?
00:56 >> You get the smile, that's part about it.
00:58 I said the essay in the press conference.
01:00 When I know that you know, that they know, and
01:02 everybody know what we're about to do, and we still do it, that's our football.
01:06 No fair dodging.
01:09 It is what it is.
01:10 Strap it up, play, that's football in a month of December.
01:13 That's what I'm used to, that's what I grew up seeing and watching with the Raiders,
01:17 myself, that's winning football.
01:20 >> Does he earn any more playing time even if Josh goes back?
01:23 >> I think everybody's, we evaluate everything.
01:26 As you play, good players play.
01:28 If you're a good player, you produce and you help us win, you win.
01:31 But if you don't, we don't get it for you.
01:33 I mean, Josh Jacobs is one of the best running backs in national football.
01:36 If we got somebody to help us out, contribute, it's gonna be right in that world.
01:40 And Zeus knows that.
01:42 It was really good to see him finish the game the way he finished.
01:45 Very strong, very violent, very explosive.
01:48 Everything we've been seeing in practice came to fruition yesterday.
01:51 >> But you have some players who did not see a lot of time,
01:54 playing time with the previous regime, but you've given them some time.
02:00 What are some of those players who have impressed you so far?
02:02 >> Yeah, started with 51.
02:05 Started with Monkford.
02:08 Going with Zeus, Big Mike, tight end.
02:13 Obviously, Jack Jones, that helped us.
02:17 To be honest, man, a lot of guys.
02:19 If you were to look at it, this is, really the last three weeks,
02:23 you've seen the youth of our team, from second year players to rookies,
02:28 really step up.
02:29 When a name is called, there's no giving you the roster.
02:32 Yesterday, left tackle, second year player.
02:35 Left guard, second year player.
02:37 Quarterback, rookie.
02:38 Running back, second year player.
02:41 It's just impressive.
02:45 Jack Jones, second year player.
02:48 And all those third year players who really have been contributing a lot,
02:51 like Malcolm Coats, really coming along and just being, I mean, dominant now.
02:55 Back to back weeks, wow, right, wow.
02:58 And when you have a guy like Max Crosby on defense,
03:00 you just waiting for somebody, you've been waiting.
03:02 Who's gonna be that guy?
03:03 Step up and like, man, look, this guy's getting double, triple team.
03:06 You got the one on ones, buddy.
03:08 You gotta win them.
03:08 He's done that, he's been an outstanding job.
03:10 So I'm not gonna go on and on with that list, but
03:12 I think those are some of the key players there, and step up.
03:16 >> Coach, to that point,
03:16 what can you say about the growth and development of Nate Hobbs?
03:19 >> Man, Nate's explosive maturity.
03:24 I mean, we've moved him around quite a bit here in the last two years,
03:27 over the last two years.
03:29 Corner, star, nickel, and he really makes his money inside.
03:33 He's a very violent football player.
03:35 He's explosive.
03:36 He can tackle in space, he can cover.
03:39 He's a good blitzer.
03:41 I think when you look at Nate, I think it's just the game slowing down for him.
03:45 He's playing a position where he has a whole routine, right?
03:47 They can do anything they want.
03:48 He's going against, most of the time, one of the better receivers in the league,
03:52 because you're finding ways to get your top guy inside.
03:55 And he's done an outstanding job for us of being playing man, zone, and blitzing.
03:58 Again, that's all credit to the coaches for seeing that.
04:02 Okay, what's the best for the player?
04:03 I know what we might want.
04:04 I know what the world wants.
04:06 But what's best for the player and the team?
04:08 And putting them inside of him, really spending extra time in his film study,
04:12 and then working on his craft on the practice field is what I really appreciate,
04:15 because he really practices the right way.
04:17 >> Coach, going into the week,
04:19 Jack Jones said you stopped the magician, the act is over.
04:22 How much do you think the pass rush on the home's been a bit of coverage and
04:25 also vice versa?
04:27 >> Yeah, I would love to see that gen stat with the home's and
04:29 how much ground we traveled and covered yesterday.
04:32 Because when you can rush and cover the way we did yesterday,
04:35 it goes hand in hand.
04:36 We've been talking about it.
04:37 We hear every coach talk about those two things playing together and one.
04:41 But when you look at our secondary and the way they've had a cover now,
04:47 and that game especially for four, five, six seconds, and
04:50 still be able to be matching or on the body, I thought it was really impressive.
04:54 What was more impressive was the guys in front being relentless and not stopping.
04:58 Do we always sit with Patrick?
05:00 No.
05:00 Do we always get him on the ground?
05:01 No. It was always perfect?
05:02 No, but it was relentless.
05:03 It was 60 minutes of it.
05:05 >> Over 1,000 yards, by the way.
05:07 >> That's what I thought.
05:08 I mean, that's not the world he wants to live in, right?
05:11 We understand that, right?
05:12 So I'm glad you got that.
05:14 I don't know, can you send that to me?
05:16 >> I can't.
05:17 >> I've seen it so many.
05:18 >> I'll send it over to you.
05:19 >> Yeah, I know you have all the scribbling lines.
05:22 Listen, not what we really thought it was gonna be, but
05:25 that's what we wanted to be and it worked out.
05:27 >> Do you use the playoffs as a kind of cure for the team?
05:30 >> Coach.
05:30 That's how we've been focusing.
05:33 As much as in front of us, I can't control 2024.
05:36 And that's the 2024.
05:37 I'm in 2023 right now.
05:38 >> Antonio, what is kind of the sentiment you had towards your players when,
05:43 it was like the sentiment around the league, how they perform in that Christmas
05:46 day game is gonna have a lot to do with if they keep it, Antonio Pierce, going forward.
05:51 So what do you think about it?
05:52 >> That's all about control.
05:53 I let them control it.
05:53 Whether we control it, we do it on the grass and how it looks.
05:55 I'm gonna keep saying it, as long as it looks right, sounds right, and
05:58 smells right, I'm fine with it.
05:59 We'll lose or draw.
06:01 And I'm gonna be me and they're gonna be them.
06:03 And when this bad boy's over with,
06:05 hopefully it all works out way together from where you just come.
06:08 >> Coach, obviously you'll be considered for the permanent position.
06:12 How will you make your case to Mark Davis in terms of setting up a man?
06:17 >> My resume's on the grass.
06:19 Which I can put up a fancy presentation, I've seen that before.
06:24 I can put up stats, I can put up my resume.
06:26 But the best thing that happened for me was opportunity.
06:29 And as I said maybe last week,
06:33 the worst day I was gonna be as a head coach was my first day.
06:36 And these days my job, and I really take pride in growing each and
06:40 every day to get better.
06:42 No different than when I was a player, get better.
06:44 By the end, look at it, whatever your career was or
06:47 whatever my coaching career is, and you sit there and say, look, it's what it was.
06:51 And hopefully Mark Davis sees improvement and growth within our team.
06:55 He sees the style of play that he wants from the Raiders.
06:57 He sees the fan base that's behind us.
07:00 He sees the building that loves coming to work, loves being here,
07:02 and people that's covering the team, enjoying covering the team.
07:05 And at the end of the day, we gotta win.
07:06 And right now, my record, our record is 43.
07:09 >> And what role will be even Kansas City playing in that?
07:12 >> Two in one in division.
07:16 Beat those guys at home, how many times has that happened in the last 25 years
07:20 of the Raiders?
07:20 Does anybody know?
07:22 >> Not much.
07:24 >> [LAUGH] >> I'm only saying that right now.
07:26 >> That's been a handful, okay, so let's go three.
07:28 Most of those guys were gurus.
07:32 Not a defensive coach, you never did, you feel me, right?
07:35 Did it a certain way, right?
07:39 Did it our way, right?
07:40 The Raiders way, right?
07:41 Go figure that out.
07:43 >> In what ways do you feel like you've already grown in the job since day one?
07:47 Do you feel like you're playing football in a different way than you ever did
07:50 before as a head coach?
07:52 >> You're dialing in 60 minutes, players, coaches, calls, situations.
07:57 I mean, the first thing I go, yeah, I'm just worried about situations.
07:59 Okay, what's the call, offensively?
08:01 Then you worry about situations.
08:02 Okay, what's the call, defensively?
08:04 It's just being dialed in.
08:05 I mean, it's an emotional and a mental roller coaster, to be honest.
08:10 I don't care who you are, you're not prepared for this until you do it.
08:14 And then you do it, you get better and better.
08:15 And obviously the ones like we went against yesterday, he's really good.
08:18 And you got the ones that's been exceptional.
08:21 And doing it for a long time, you take your ass off to him and
08:23 you wanna be that guy one day, right?
08:25 You wanna have two, three games and lose your belt.
08:28 But it takes time, and I would just say this, that I lean on the people that
08:33 have been there and done that for expertise and ways I can get better.
08:37 For me overall, it's just a constant growth and
08:41 no different than my journey of life, just keep going with it.
08:43 >> What do you say to Aiden Effort today like yesterday?
08:46 >> Good win.
08:47 You know the best thing he did yesterday?
08:49 He took me to me straight place.
08:51 Victory formation, best player in football, I'm gonna treat him.
08:54 >> How much does this temperament, when you're kind of a low maintenance guy,
08:58 humble, the team will keep playing hard to you when you're not having your best game?
09:02 >> Yeah, this is gonna be a tough one, I'm gonna say it because it's like,
09:05 I relate, it's Eli, man.
09:06 It's like, you good?
09:08 Yeah, I'm good.
09:10 No, no, like you're good, second quarter.
09:12 Damn good, third quarter, fourth quarter.
09:14 We didn't play the ball yet, you good?
09:16 You still good.
09:16 That shocked me yesterday, cuz I was looking, I wanted to see him,
09:20 I wanted to see him, I was gonna see that look in his eye.
09:24 But he understood it was a team game, and yesterday wasn't his day.
09:27 And the rest of the team carried him, and that's fine, that's okay.
09:30 There's gonna be days where this young man's gonna have an opportunity to carry
09:33 a team in this organization.
09:34 And we're gonna lean on him elsewhere.
09:37 So to have that, I call it poker face, and that even kill, that's fine.
09:42 I don't need him to be AP.
09:44 Don't have that fire, don't be passionate, don't be going crazy and
09:47 getting bleeped every five minutes.
09:48 Don't do that, I don't know.
09:49 Be nice and calm and under control and manage the game and don't turn the ball.
09:53 >> Even though he was active, they did play the majority of the game,
09:56 how big was it for Colton Miller to come in for Jermaine on that last play to kind
10:00 of set up the victory formation?
10:02 >> Yeah, really shocking.
10:03 When it happened, I just looked around, looked for the off the line coach,
10:06 the cam, Paul on the cam.
10:07 I was going in, I just saw this 6'8" dude running,
10:10 he grabbed his helmet, I'm like, what's he doing?
10:12 We're trying to be smart and he said, I'm ready.
10:16 What am I gonna say?
10:17 I just fell back and I watched.
10:19 And that's what you expect out of a leader, a captain on your team,
10:23 when the game's on the line.
10:24 His name wasn't even called, his number wasn't even called.
10:26 He called it himself and I'm gonna fall back and watch, and that's what we did.
10:28 >> How much did that tell you about your team,
10:30 that everyone's willing to sacrifice even though they're not healthy?
10:33 You didn't have to call him, he was ready to put in the sign up.
10:35 >> It goes even to Josh Jacobs, right before the game.
10:37 I thought he was gonna play, he thought he was gonna play, he couldn't play.
10:41 He was in the best interest of saying he didn't play, and
10:42 that's what I'm gonna do, it's in the best interest of the players.
10:45 But it just shows, man, I remember this question was asked,
10:49 maybe not to me, but one of our players, what are we playing for?
10:51 And that's, it's kind of disrespectful.
10:54 What are you here for?
10:56 Why are you here working?
10:56 Why are you covering us?
10:57 It's your job.
10:58 You get paid to cover, you get paid to play.
11:00 That's 17 games, 18 weeks.
11:02 It's our job until there's nothing left, and then we go off season.
11:05 So what it shows you is guys that love football.
11:07 We got guys that love football, that are passionate about it.
11:10 They got pride about it, that have a sense of commitment to their family and
11:17 to this organization, and that huge thing.
11:19 >> Two straight games of defense scored twice, which is pretty-
11:25 >> When was that?
11:26 Okay, when was the last time?
11:28 >> First time in over ten years.
11:29 >> In regular history?
11:30 Never.
11:33 >> [LAUGH] >> Come on, come on, come on.
11:36 You don't have all that long, do you?
11:39 >> No, I make it true.
11:41 >> What are you cultivating at practice?
11:44 Are you stressing that, or once a game?
11:46 >> I do it with an offensive player.
11:47 We touch the ball, I touch the end zone.
11:49 I was fortunate to play with two more players in my career, and
11:52 there's a couple that just, every time they touch it, they went to the end zone.
11:55 Offensively.
11:56 And then some defensive players that did the same thing, and I'm like, wow, okay.
11:59 And then they'll go back, maybe miss a play, and
12:00 then they come back and take the third play or something.
12:03 And that just recreates a habit.
12:05 And if you really, I know you guys don't watch practice the whole time, but
12:08 if you were to watch our practice, you would see that throughout.
12:12 It don't matter if it's kickoff, punt, interception, fumble, recovery.
12:15 That guy's gonna run into the end zone, and the next man comes in,
12:17 we just keep rolling.
12:18 And that's just, create habits, man, muscle memory.
12:21 How do you do something?
12:22 Well, you do it consistently.
12:24 And then when you turn it into reality, you sit there and smile,
12:26 you get a smile, you don't get bored.
12:29 >> My straight hand said on the broadcast that you're going with this team,
12:31 that you need to, your team, that you guys wanna agree with.
12:35 What does that mean when a guy like straight hands talking about you on
12:37 national TV like that?
12:38 >> It's the GOAT, man.
12:39 It's big brother right there.
12:40 It was hard to go to New York when you had a personality like that in front of you,
12:44 next to you.
12:46 But we always made a pact, we were always the last two in the tunnel,
12:49 shaking hands and welcoming everybody in and out of the tunnel.
12:54 Straight knows how much he means to me and how much I mean to him.
12:57 It's just respect.
12:58 He's the guy who did it at the highest level in one city and
13:00 many cities for a long time.
13:02 Went out on top and he's doing really well off the field.
13:04 And he's the guy that, regardless of he's not in coaching,
13:08 you really model yourself after of how you carry yourself as an individual.
13:12 >> Is there anything Max or
13:13 Mike as well as Mike would like that position to work?
13:15 >> Man, Max different now.
13:19 Me and Mike talked about that now.
13:21 What I would say is consistency.
13:23 I didn't believe him when I first got here.
13:25 He said, man, Max didn't do everything.
13:26 No, there's no way this guy can have that kind of juice each and
13:30 every day be bouncing off the walls.
13:33 And he does, I guess it's crazy.
13:35 I've never seen it like, and you always hear that.
13:38 No, no, no, never.
13:40 Marvin Lewis is here, so I've never seen it like this.
13:42 I told you, this guy just doesn't stop.
13:45 And that's consistency.
13:46 That's what you see in guys that eventually at some point wear a gold jacket.
13:50 >> You saw some of the Colts?
13:53 >> Physical football team that came here last year, got after us pretty well.
13:56 You gotta respect their best football, obviously, they're good up front.
14:00 Both sides, right?
14:01 The O line, D line we gotta deal with.
14:03 Big running back, we saw that last year, was pretty for us.
14:07 And quarterback, gotta be careful with this guy.
14:10 He's tricky, man, he's tricky good.
14:12 And he's done a really good job for them, really just coming in and just,
14:15 you can't tell, is he a back up?
14:17 Really, no.
14:17 It starts with the way he's playing and the way the team plays around him.
14:21 World coach team, obviously, their defensive staff knows our players very well.
14:26 And they got them in a very good scheme for their team.
14:29 It's gonna be a physical game.
14:30 We gotta get, it's 24 hour rule.
14:33 It was a great, great, great, great playing rival on Christmas day.
14:38 But today's December 26th.
14:42 We're gonna be ready to play these boys on New Year's Eve, and that's gonna be fun.
14:45 >> Sounds good.
14:46 >> Thank you.