HENDERSON, Nev. — It was a special vibe on the Las Vegas Raiders facility Thursday, when the staff held its first follow underneath interim coach Antonio Pierce.
From warming as much as the musical stylings of seminal rap group N.W.A.’s “Straight Outta Compton” to All-Professional receiver Davante Adams taking operating again Ameer Abdullah to high school within the locker room’s new mini-basketball hoop to offensive linemen wrestling one another WWE model to even, sure, a brand new beginning quarterback in rookie Aidan O’Connell, it was a brand new day.
All lower than 48 hours after the Raiders fired Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler as coach and common supervisor, respectively, and changed them with Pierce and Champ Kelly.
“Do not get it confused,” Adams cautioned. “It isn’t a celebration that we now have a brand new coach and there is been modifications made. We, clearly, assume it was time, by some means, it was time for some kind of change. Simply to deliver a bit of juice in and revitalize the staff a bit of bit. So, I feel that is form of the mindset we’re having, simply making an attempt to have enjoyable and revel in our time on this constructing as a result of I feel as we communicate to one another, it has been an excessive amount of of, this has simply been feeling like work an excessive amount of and never having sufficient enjoyable.”
Adams went on to thank McDaniels and Ziegler for buying and selling for him.
“As I’ve stated numerous instances, I need to be a Raider,” Adams added. “So I need to attempt to make this work and do every part I can to maintain it going now.”
Professional Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby additionally thanked McDaniels for pushing him to be a greater chief however added that he merely needed to win.
“I need to be in an incredible setting,” Crosby stated. “I need to present as much as work each single day and really feel nice power. I really feel like that is extra vital than something. On the finish of the day, you have to get pleasure from this. For those who do not, you are not going to have a lot success and it is already laborious sufficient to go on the market and do what we do. So, for those who’re strolling within the constructing, not having fun with it, it will be even more durable.”
In Pierce, Crosby stated he feels a pure chief, a former participant who was a Professional Bowler and a Tremendous Bowl champion with the New York Giants, the Raiders’ opponents on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium.
“Guys relate rather well,” Crosby stated.
Maybe none should vibe with Pierce greater than the brand new beginning quarterback.
Rookie O’Connell is on the heart of the most important on-field change for the evolving Raiders and was tapped by Pierce and Kelly to interchange high-priced however oft-injured and ineffective up to now Jimmy Garoppolo.
“Clearly a bit of loopy, only a lot happening round right here and nothing I have been a part of earlier than,” O’Connell stated of the previous few days. “I had one coach my entire time in school, so it is all fairly international to me. Simply making an attempt to take it day-to-day, actually minute by minute and attempt to get pleasure from it as a lot as I can.
“Positively overwhelming to know the blokes have my again and are tremendous supportive, each vocally and the way they deal with me. So that provides me loads of confidence in myself and I recognize that lots from them.”
O’Connell began the Raiders’ Week 4 loss on the Los Angeles Chargers, when Garoppolo was out with a concussion, and likewise performed in aid of Brian Hoyer two weeks in the past within the blowout defeat on the Chicago Bears, with Garoppolo sidelined by a again harm.
The fourth-round decide from Purdue has accomplished 65.4% of his passes (34-of-52) for 313 yards, a landing cross and two interceptions for a passer ranking of 72.0, a complete QBR of seven.6. However he has additionally been sacked seven instances, shedding two of three fumbles.
“It was clearly a loopy few days and so I came upon yesterday,” O’Connell stated of being named the starter going ahead. “These conversations occur fast as a result of we have got to get going and begin getting the work and they also’ve, once more, voiced their confidence in me and been tremendous supportive of me from A.P. to Champ and Bo [Hardegree, interim offensive coordinator], all alike. So once more, simply them being assured in me and exhibiting that verbally, has been large for me.”
Former Professional Bowl receiver Hunter Renfrow additionally alluded to a “completely different power” underneath Pierce.
“We’re not strolling on eggshells all over the place,” stated Renfrow, a forgotten man within the earlier offense.
“I imply, I feel there was issues that McDaniels did rather well, proper? I am not going to sit down right here and say he was a nasty coach. He is superb … however I feel with A.P. being a participant and simply having completely different power, it is simply completely different. And we now have a basketball [game] happening within the locker room now, making an attempt to have a bit of enjoyable. Simply making an attempt to get again to having enjoyable as a child and enjoying the sport. Effectively, I feel that is been his message.”
One other change? The Raiders on Thursday signed linebacker Jaylon Smith off the New Orleans Saints’ follow squad. He was a second-round decide of the Dallas Cowboys in 2016 out of Notre Dame and was named to the Professional Bowl in 2019.
Pierce was the Raiders’ linebackers coach earlier than being elevated by proprietor Mark Davis. And it was Davis who advised ESPN he did not essentially need Pierce to “coach” the staff, a lot as he needed him to “lead” the gamers.
And that was effective with Adams.
“You want any individual that is aware of tips on how to lead males, and that is not me saying that Josh wasn’t that man, however that is simply what [Davis is] clearly alluding to as a result of I feel Josh was nice at main males,” Adams stated. “He had the proper thought and, what he was on the lookout for out of this staff, I completely agree with every part that he needed us to do. It isn’t like he was sending us on the market with dangerous intentions or not with our greatest pursuits at coronary heart.
“However A.P. isn’t going to get in there and say, ‘Run this play for ‘Tae,'” Adams laughed. “He do not know any of our performs. He is over there teaching linebackers and coping with the protection. So, I feel it is extra about simply having him form our minds, getting us able to go on the market. I imply, I am already able to run via a wall for that man, so it is a good feeling.”
