Antonio Pierce Sends Veiled Warning to Raiders Players After Loss to Panthers

The Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce didn’t mince words after his team’s 36–22 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

Fresh off an embarrassing defeat that saw the Raiders give up over 400 scrimmage yards to the NFC South bottom-feeding Panthers, Pierce appeared to fire shots at his own players for giving up during the game.

“As the game went on, I think there were definitely some individuals who made business decisions, and we’ll make business decisions going forward as well,” Pierce told reporters in the postgame media session.

Pierce’s vaguely worded criticism didn’t seem to be directed at any player in particular, though NFL fans started to theorize that Pierce may have been talking about star receiver Davante Adams, who was seen visibly frustrated on the bench during the loss. Adams finished with just four catches for 40 yards.

Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew didn’t play the best game with 214 yards and one touchdown along with one interception, but it was Las Vegas’s defense that perhaps let the team down when it mattered most. The Raiders had no answer for the Panthers’ uncharacteristically well-oiled offense and allowed Andy Dalton to throw for over 300 yards and running back Chuba Hubbard to rush for over 100 yards. 

The Raiders (1–2) will look to bounce back next week against the Cleveland Browns, with Pierce potentially set to make some significant changes to the lineup.