Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce has created the most excitement the organization has seen in years. The Raiders field some of the best talent in the NFL at certain positions, but they haven't been highlighted, due to poor team play. After taking over as the interim head coach in 2023, Pierce was given the baton to take over in Las Vegas. Pierce spoke on the Raiders' divisional matchups, explaining how he was able to find success late in the season.

“Let’s go to that Christmas Day Game (referring to Chiefs game), I told him to a tee what we was going to do to that offense,” said Pierce. “I told him how we were going to finish that game. I felt it our players felt it, we built it up all week, we learned from our mistakes you know a month prior when we blew a 14 (point) lead at home and so we’re not doing that. We’re going to put the fear of God in that offense and have them running for their lives and that’s kind of how that played out.”

Pierce and the Raiders capped off the year winning three of their last four games, all of which came in divisional play. There isn't a sport where rivalries and divisional matchups are more important. Pierce knows that, and believes the key to getting the Raiders back on top starts from within their division. In 2023, they finished the season as the No. 2 team i the AFC West with an 8-9 record.

“No different then when we got shut out at home to the Minnesota Vikings, I was very embarrassed, it was very embarrassing for our organization. Myself, our staff, our players, we have four days, I told our guys get out the building for an hour we walked back in that bad boy, we washed our face we went back to work. I said look man we’re going to roll. I didn’t think it’d be 63 now (referring to Chargers win) I will say that, but I told (Tom) Telesco, hell when we had 63 I was going for 71 because I was going for two to get that record and that was going to piss them off.”