The Las Vegas Raiders (2-7) are enjoying a much-needed bye week after five straight losses. But the team did not spend its free time quietly.
Sources told CBS Sports that several Raiders players, including team captain Maxx Crosby, spoke openly at a players and staff meeting on Monday addressing what they considered inefficiencies and deficiencies within the organization on a week-to-week basis.
The hope for everyone involved is that the talks result in some positive change for the Raiders in the second half of the season.
Head coach Antonio Pierce fired three offensive coaches Sunday night after the Raiders’ 41-24 loss to Cincinnati. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, offensive line coach James Cregg and quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello were relieved of their duties after Sunday’s game.
On Monday morning, Pierce was reworking his offensive staff. Scott Turner, who was previously offensive coordinator in Washington and Carolina, would eventually be named interim offensive coordinator. The Raiders never hired an offensive line assistant coach, which is somewhat unusual, but they named senior offensive assistant Joe Philbin as the new OL coach. Philbin had been working regularly with that group all season, which meant he didn’t need to be an assistant.
Assistant quarterbacks coach Fred Walker did not earn a promotion despite Scangarello’s firing, but the team added Scott’s father, Norv Turner, to the team in an advisory role. Turner, 72, is a three-time and longtime head coach. NFL Offensive coordinator. Turner, Philbin and Marvin Lewis are all former head coaches on Pierce’s staff.
After Monday’s coaches meeting, the team met with the staff and the floor was left open for anyone to speak their mind. According to sources present, some themes emerged. The players had problems because the schedule was not efficient. There was a lack of organization and “waste of time,” and there was a “lack of discipline and responsibility.”
One source described the meeting as ending “uncomfortably for all parties.” But this meeting was certainly nothing like one between the players and the head coach almost exactly a year ago.
Just days before Mark Davis fired Josh McDaniels as head coach, McDaniels opened the floor to the players. They criticized McDaniels for how he behaved and led the team. Word reached the owner and McDaniels was fired a few days later, on Halloween.
Players rallied for Pierce to get the permanent job last year when the team went 5-4 with him at the helm. The Raiders did the bare minimum to comply with league rules in their pursuit before installing Pierce as permanent head coach, which had been the expectation around the league since the Christmas Day victory over the Chiefs.
Pierce and his revamped coaching staff are hoping for another strong second half of the season. And it starts when the players return from the break on Monday to prepare for the Miami Dolphins.
