Antonio Pierce’s Las Vegas Raiders came agonizingly close to serving up a Thanksgiving feast of an upset against the Kansas City Chiefs, but ultimately fell short in a 19-17 nail-biter on the NFL's second-ever Black Friday showdown.
This one had all the makings of a holiday classic. The Raiders, playing with a fire in their belly, had the mighty Chiefs on the ropes. But a controversial call late in the game, coupled with a heartbreaking fumble on the final play, dashed their hopes of a signature win.
"We were a play or two away," a visibly frustrated head coach Antonio Pierce said after the game. "We fought hard, but those calls... they hurt."
The Raiders battled penalty trouble early, racking up six flags for 55 yards in the first half alone. But they clawed their way back, with quarterback Aidan O'Connell leading a furious charge in the final minutes.
O'Connell was dialed in on the Raiders' last possession, completing 5-of-5 passes for 55 yards and marching them down the field. But with the clock ticking down and the game on the line, disaster struck. A miscommunication on the snap resulted in a fumble, recovered by the Chiefs with just 14 seconds left. Game over.
The loss stings, especially given the controversial call that loomed large in the final result. But the Raiders showed grit and determination against their AFC West rivals, proving they can hang with the best in the league. This young team is building something special, and while Black Friday ended in disappointment, the future looks bright in the desert.
Monday, November 25, 2024
Pierce & Raiders Lose for Quarterback in Defeat
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Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew suffered a potentially serious injury when he was sacked and landed hard on his left shoulder late in the fourth quarter of Sunday's loss to the Denver Broncos.
Minshew left the game clutching his shoulder after being tackled by linebackers Cody Barton and Jonathon Cooper. According to multiple reports, Minshew suffered a broken collarbone that will force him to miss the rest of the season.
“We’ll know more, but it doesn't look good,” coach Antonio Pierce said after the Raiders lost 29-19.
With the Raiders (2-9) trailing 26-19 with 3:12 left, Minshew dropped back and scrambled to his right, and Barton and Cooper brought the 28-year-old journeyman to the turf.
Minshew was replaced by Desmond Ridder, who played just two downs before losing a fumble. He scrambled for 3 yards on second down and then fumbled after being sacked by Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto. Lineman Malcolm Roach recovered and the Broncos took over at the Raiders 17.
Minshew was 25 of 42 for 230 yards with a touchdown pass and an interception. Ridder finished 5 of 10 for 64 yards.
“We obviously have to be able to go out there and execute and finish by the end of the fourth quarter,” Ridder said. “We just got to be better on offense. We just have to be able to execute better. When it comes down to it, we have to be able to make those big plays.”
The Raiders played without their top two running backs as well as two starters at cornerback, two on the defensive line and one at safety.
Second-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell is eligible to come off injured reserve this week, which could help the Raiders as they prepare to play at Kansas City on Friday.
Sunday, October 13, 2024
Pierce's Raiders Fall to the Steelers
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Antonio Pierce's Las Vegas Raiders were hit with a bad case of déjà vu in their Week 6, 32-13 defeat against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
It was the second straight week that the Raiders got off to a fast start in the first half and then lost grasp of the momentum down the stretch due to penalties and turnovers. Over the last two contests, they've turned the ball over to the opposing defense six times – three in each game.
While the Raiders committed three less penalties than the Steelers, two of them proved costly, wiping out a touchdown pass from Aidan O'Connell to Alexander Mattison as well as an interception by Divine Deablo.
Thursday, October 10, 2024
Pierce Announces Quarterback Change for Raiders
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Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Antonio Pierce announced, “Aidan O'Connell will start for the Las Vegas Raiders this Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
The second-year quarterback was in a battle for the position with Gardner Minshew II this offseason, with Minshew ultimately winning the job out of training camp. Minshew threw for 1,014 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions before Pierce made the decision to go with O'Connell.
"It was my decision. Just felt it was the best for our offense going forward," Pierce said.
O'Connell took over at starting quarterback in Week 9 of the 2023 season after getting his first ever start in Week 4 against the Chargers. He posted a 5-5 record as a starter with 2,218 passing yards and a 12:7 touchdown to interception ratio as a rookie.
"What I respected the most is when we named Gardner the starter, O'Connell said, 'Alright, I'm going to be the best scout team quarterback possible.' And he was lighting our ass up," Pierce said. "Every day he gave us the best look and he walked around with a smile on his face. ... He's just a great teammate. All of those things factor into our decisions."
Monday, October 07, 2024
Bermuda Flag Football Season Underway
IslandStats.com
The Bermuda Flag Football Season got underway with just one game played at the TNT Tatem Middle School Field.
In the season opener the Ravens edged the Seahawks 48 - 47.
The Player of the game for the Ravens was Ryan Rabain throwing for seven Touchdown Passes, while the Player of the game for Seahawks was Seward Smith also throwing for seven Touchdown Passes.
