Raiders coach is facing biggest test yet heading into Week 4

The Raiders, for the first time under Antonio Pierce’s leadership, are at a crossroads.

A 36-22 defeat to the Panthers on Sept. 22 left the team with two losses in its first three games. A slew of injuries, including ones to stars Maxx Crosby and Davante Adams, are testing the Raiders’ depth. Everyone from starting quarterback Gardner Minshew to offensive coordinator Luke Getsy is under pressure.

That means Pierce is facing his biggest challenge yet as his wounded team prepares to welcome the Browns to Allegiant Stadium on Sunday. The Raiders’ first-year coach, who was also in charge for nine games on an interim basis last season, is known as a fiery leader and motivator. But can he navigate his team through this early-season storm?

Pierce is looking within himself for answers.

“When I say words to players, talking about character, for example, I’m talking about myself as well,” Pierce said. “How do I handle adversity? How do I handle situations that you didn’t quite see (coming)?”

Early test

Pierce’s concerns include a running game that hasn’t gotten out of first gear. A talented defense that has surrendered the fifth-most points per game in the NFL. Plus, there are all the injuries.

Crosby is dealing with a high-ankle sprain and was listed as doubtful on the Raiders’ final injury report Friday. Pierce said the defensive end will not play. The team’s No. 1 wide receiver, Adams, is out with a hamstring injury he suffered in practice Thursday. Starting right tackle Thayer Munford Jr. is also doubtful for Sunday’s game because of knee and ankle injuries.

The Raiders learned Tuesday that starting safety Marcus Epps is out for the year with a knee injury. He joins defensive end Malcolm Koonce (knee) on the shelf for the rest of the season.

Those absences mean it’s gut-check time for the Raiders. They can’t use injuries as an excuse. It’s on them to find answers, and on Pierce to set the right tone.

“The message to the team is that of team, and what our thought process is,” Pierce said. “Again, the mindset this week was character, being a pro, having another opportunity at home.”

Pierce is drawing on his experience as a player this week, when he was known as the heart and soul of a defense that led the Giants to a 17-14 upset victory over the 18-0 Patriots in Super Bowl 42 in 2008.

He told his team to identify its mistakes from the Panthers loss and learn from them. Then, the Raiders need to turn the page and get ready for Sunday.

“You reflect, you move on,” Pierce said. “You set it forward.”

The defeat to the Panthers, who lost their first two games by a combined score of 73-13, stung. It led to frank and honest meetings between Raiders players and coaches this week. Anyone who wanted to speak up was given the chance to do so. No one was above reproach.

“It wasn’t just about the players,” running back Zamir White said. “It was about everybody. The whole building. So, we really got personal. We talked about it, and we learned from it.”

Cornerback Nate Hobbs said the conversations that took place “needed to happen.”

“Everybody in the room got things off their mind that I think they needed to,” Hobbs said.

Honesty with empathy

Pierce doesn’t bite his lip when he sees something wrong. It’s no surprise then that he questioned some of his players’ effort level against Carolina.

“I think there were definitely some individuals that made business decisions,” Pierce said following the defeat.

Statements like that from other coaches could cause division in the locker room. But Pierce’s frankness is a hallmark of his leadership.

He encourages his players to express themselves and celebrate their achievements as they see fit. He wants an open and honest environment to get the best out of everyone. That means sometimes telling it like it is. It might be harsh, but it’s never personal.

“This is a grown man’s business,” defensive tackle Christian Wilkins said. “It’s professional football. That’s the only way you can improve.”

Pierce, by being honest and open himself, is giving his players the green light to communicate freely among themselves as well.

“Obviously, AP does a good job of allowing us to do that,” wide receiver Tre Tucker said. “The best thing is peer pressure. Us holding each other accountable.”

Improvements from within

This is unquestionably Pierce’s first real crisis 12 games into his Raiders’ tenure.

He led the team to a 5-4 finish as the interim coach last year, but his players’ effort was never in question during those four losses. The Raiders’ uninspired play against the Panthers was new, as well as disappointing.

That means it’s worth monitoring whether that game becomes an outlier or something far more serious. Pierce understands he’s under a microscope as a result of the shocking defeat. How the Raiders respond is in part a reflection on him.

“I mean, I think we’re all going through it,” Pierce said. “It’s my first time going through that situation as a head coach, right?”

His players understand they deserve some of the blame for their performance as well.

“We’re the ones out there on the field,” Tucker said. “We’re the ones who have to make the catch, the pass, the tackle, whatever it may be.”

The Raiders’ pointed conversations with one another are a sign they’re taking ownership of the situation. The team is hoping to lift itself up rather than fall further downward.

“The player-led teams are the ones that do the best, in my mind,” Adams said Wednesday. “And that’s how you sustain it.”

It’s early. But the Raiders need to prove they can recover from their ugly showing against the Panthers. Whether they do will say a lot about this year’s team and the coach leading it.

“There’s always different things and different obstacles that you’ve got to go through,” Pierce said. “So that’s really a big part of it. My leadership, getting these guys going, getting them ready to play and (making) sure we put out a good product on the field.”

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.