Las Vegas Raiders' Coach Antonio Pierce's Final Comments Indianapolis Colts Week
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00:00 Good morning.
00:02 What's up guys?
00:04 How do you consist of that?
00:06 Good morning sir, how are you doing today?
00:08 Amazing!
00:10 Please elaborate, what's this week been like?
00:12 This week has been good.
00:14 Obviously Christmas is a very good Christmas for the Raiders.
00:16 But then we moved on.
00:18 Great opportunity in front of us.
00:20 Another road game.
00:22 We played well on the road.
00:24 We played well on the road.
00:26 We played well on the road.
00:28 We played well on the road.
00:30 Certain things happen on the road, we need to bring them with us.
00:32 How's our offense looking?
00:34 Looks good.
00:36 When our running backs back, they're running.
00:38 That's different.
00:40 We saw it last year, first hand.
00:42 We know exactly what we're dealing with.
00:44 They're getting healthy.
00:46 We got to deal with Pittman.
00:48 We got to deal with the physical offensive line.
00:50 It's a scary group.
00:52 They can have a bad week and then they can explode one week.
00:54 We got to be ready for the best.
00:56 You've walked through so far this week.
00:58 You have a practice today.
01:00 Do you think Josh Aitken might be able to get out there?
01:02 I'll be a game time decision.
01:04 To be honest with you.
01:06 No need to rush it.
01:08 If he can go at 1 o'clock on Sunday, I'm happy with that.
01:10 Obviously, you want him to be out there at the game.
01:12 What was it like to see just a new way to play?
01:14 In the last couple of weeks, you showed a new BV.
01:16 He's earned reps.
01:18 He's earned play time.
01:20 That's not going to change.
01:22 Aids are not starting running back.
01:24 That's not even a question.
01:26 But, Zemir opened up some eyes.
01:28 He's taking advantage of the opportunity.
01:30 That's the national football game.
01:32 You give him a play or two or several weeks,
01:34 you make the most out of it.
01:36 He's done just that.
01:38 He's earned the trust, the belief with our offensive staff
01:40 and our line.
01:42 I think that's huge when you get in the game
01:44 like we did last week.
01:46 His style of running.
01:48 It's an explosive running back coming down here.
01:50 It's a good change of pace between him and Josh Aitken.
01:52 How important is it going to be for you guys to get after the running
01:54 to stop Jonathan Taylor and make them a one-dimensional offense?
01:56 It's always that way.
01:58 I don't know any coach that I've ever seen that's different.
02:00 If you want to make them one-dimensional,
02:02 you feel good about our guys up front
02:04 doing that. We did a good job last week.
02:06 We're going to have to do that consistently this week.
02:08 They'll stay with the running game.
02:10 I think that's the biggest difference from week to week.
02:12 Certain teams are shy away from it.
02:14 This team is going to do it all until the fourth quarter.
02:16 Mitch is not the most athletic guy.
02:18 He seems to be able to make things happen
02:20 and he's able to get the runs down.
02:22 I don't think anyone would say
02:24 athletic quarterback.
02:26 You would say mobility.
02:28 He has the ability to escape.
02:30 He has a good feel for the pocket.
02:32 He has a good pocket presence.
02:34 It's a little different than what we felt last week.
02:36 Patrick is that this guy's eyes
02:38 are down the field and he can make plays.
02:40 It turns into off-script plays.
02:42 That's difficult for a defense because now you're covered
02:44 for four or five or six seconds.
02:46 That's not what we want to live in.
02:48 We want to see the best coordination.
02:50 These guys have to do their jobs.
02:52 They understand that.
02:54 It's no different each and every week
02:56 when you have a quarterback like this.
02:58 You've seen a bunch of players that grow
03:00 and get better this season.
03:02 Did you figure out as far as their development
03:04 because you've seen as far as guys taking that next step
03:06 this season?
03:08 Yeah, I think it started early on.
03:10 I think sometimes when you throw rookies in early
03:12 that's not fair.
03:14 They've had a long year
03:16 and you see the opposite.
03:18 You see rookies starting off the season
03:20 and by November they hit that rookie wall.
03:22 We've done a good job over the last seven weeks
03:24 of doing the opposite.
03:26 Really turning the rookies up.
03:28 We look like the fresher group.
03:30 We've got fresher ladies out there.
03:32 They're bringing more energy and juice.
03:34 Look at the guys we're talking about.
03:36 Tucker, Aiden, Zamir, Munford,
03:38 Big Mike when he was out there,
03:40 Trey Tucker, Jack Jones.
03:42 A lot of guys with a lot of juice in their legs
03:44 and they're not getting that.
03:46 When I contribute that to, I just think
03:48 believe in your players in the process.
03:50 Give them more time to learn and study the playbook
03:52 so they're not out there making mistakes early on
03:54 and losing that confidence.
03:56 Coach, the defense has been playing great.
03:58 Where or how do you feel like the defense can get even better?
04:00 There's a lot of ways.
04:02 We don't use the word great yet.
04:04 We're getting better and better each and every day.
04:06 When you talk about great, that's a different category.
04:08 We're striving for that.
04:10 We'll know that in the beginning of the season
04:12 and we'll know that in the end of the season.
04:14 What I contribute that to is guys really buying in and believing.
04:16 Remember day one when I first stood here
04:18 and I said my goal and what my challenge was
04:20 is to match energy.
04:22 Well, now I think you see my defense
04:24 matching that energy and effort
04:26 and now production.
04:28 You're seeing that.
04:30 First thing was just Robert Spillane.
04:32 Now you see me letting bad boys hunt.
04:34 Now it's racing the ball.
04:36 I call the ball and let the guys get in the family picture.
04:38 For me, it's very
04:40 satisfying to see them
04:42 buy into that.
04:44 We talk about the effort and matching your best players.
04:46 Matt's job is to bring all those guys
04:48 along and keep striving to stay in front.
04:50 That's what we want.
04:52 When we get that, you get the product.
04:54 What's the fine line between coaching a player
04:56 tough and loving on them?
04:58 If they make a mistake, just coaching
05:00 them up and at the same time
05:02 showing them that love.
05:04 I don't think it's tough. I think it's truth.
05:06 Just give the players truth. Tell me the truth.
05:08 "Hey, P, you suck." "Cool, that's how you feel?
05:10 I got to get better."
05:12 Tell the player, "Hey, that was a bad play."
05:14 Take the gray out. This is what it was.
05:16 Good or bad.
05:18 I think most professionals
05:20 understand that.
05:22 Once you get a bunch of grown men
05:24 and learn how to be professionals in this sport,
05:26 you can handle both the love-hate relationship.
05:28 Have you found that that's been something
05:30 that these guys embrace in that locker room? Is that truth?
05:32 Yeah. That's been day one.
05:34 I wish it would come back.
05:36 It is what it is. It comes out how it comes out.
05:38 Sometimes you have to leave it out, but you get the point.
05:40 I think they get the point, but they're also
05:42 not loved like no other.
05:44 I could be their baby's children. I could be their baby's cradle.
05:46 It's not going to be over.
05:48 You mentioned Michael Maradon.
05:50 Where is he in terms of
05:52 recovering?
05:54 He'll be out. He'll be out more than that.
05:56 How was Aidan Hamilton last week?
06:00 Last week, last report
06:02 was on the conditions of housing.
06:04 How's he doing this week?
06:06 Yeah, just getting better.
06:08 Life of a rookie.
06:10 I keep talking about that.
06:12 I said it, and I don't want to reference it again,
06:14 but the guy, you don't know when it's a good or bad day.
06:16 It's that same poker face,
06:18 which I appreciate and I love.
06:20 I really think that
06:22 it takes a lot for a young quarterback to understand
06:24 how to have that emotional balance
06:26 and not to get into the highs and the lows
06:28 of National Football League
06:30 and then to read the press good or bad.
06:32 Two weeks ago, he was John Tanner.
06:34 He was putting him in the Hall of Fame type deal.
06:36 Now, put him with the Bad News Bears.
06:38 We're not doing it.
06:40 He's a starter quarterback. He has his ups and downs.
06:42 We've got to do a better job around him.
06:44 Coaches, play callers, players around him
06:46 to bring him along.
06:48 I never thought any day we would win
06:50 a game against Aidan. That was not the plan.
06:52 That's not the plan.
06:54 Coach, out of curiosity,
06:56 just in a general sense, what goes into
06:58 the decision to run your NASCAR package on defense?
07:00 I had success as a player.
07:02 We did that when I was with
07:04 the team I played with
07:06 once the championships were in. It was pretty good.
07:08 Speed kills, man.
07:10 You've got length in the body. He's a guy that can rush.
07:12 You get a guy like you did last week
07:14 and another quarterback you'll face this week
07:16 that can move around.
07:18 As we talk about mobility here, by time,
07:20 you can't buy time. You've got speed.
07:22 You chase him. He'll get tired eventually
07:24 and we'll catch him and we've got a power.
07:26 When you look at your secondary with the meat,
07:28 you're talking Nate from last year to this year,
07:30 what's the biggest area of progression you've seen
07:32 in those three with the secondary and premieres?
07:34 I really attribute it to film study
07:36 and then also the belief
07:38 in what I've talked about with these guys
07:40 is if you see it, believe it, go get it.
07:42 Don't second guess yourselves.
07:44 These are guys who put a lot of time
07:46 in film study with the coaches,
07:48 themselves, go to practice.
07:50 It is what it is. It's black and white.
07:52 If you see it, go get it.
07:54 The ability and the confidence that they know
07:56 that if they make the play or don't make the play,
07:58 we're not going to blame them. We're going to do it again.
08:00 Make an educated guess. It's not just be random.
08:02 I think they've done a really good job with that.
08:04 They see stuff triggering in the run game
08:06 and obviously the passing game. These guys have great opportunities
08:08 either intercept the ball or punch it out the gate.
08:10 You mentioned how disrespectful
08:12 people ask the players
08:14 what they were playing for recently.
08:16 Now, mathematically, you're in a position
08:18 where you could potentially win the division.
08:20 How does it feel
08:22 to have been able to come into
08:24 this team and turn things around
08:26 where it was possible?
08:28 I think it's just belief. We talked about it.
08:30 Handle what we can handle. What's right in front of us.
08:32 I think the first thing I did, I pointed
08:34 at that big mirror,
08:36 the front mirror, the front of us,
08:38 the women in front of us, just looking forward and not looking back.
08:40 That's just what the sportsman like.
08:42 We protect the dirt, we get in great races.
08:44 Don't look back. Don't look on the side.
08:46 Right in front of you, make it real narrow.
08:48 Tunnel vision. We know what's in front of us.
08:50 We know what we're all chasing. We want to play
08:52 the month of January. We want to get
08:54 tickets to the dance as well.
08:56 How do we do that? We've got to have a business this week
08:58 in Indy and handle these coaches.
09:00 That's our main goal.
09:02 We're not going to score a world watch. We're not going to do it.
09:04 We're not going to talk about it. I appreciate everybody
09:06 informing us, but that's not our focus.
09:08 Go back to film study real quick.
09:10 Nate said in the locker room yesterday that Jack Jones
09:12 studies film like no other. He kind of
09:14 broke it down for him. What about
09:16 Jack just breaks that down
09:18 and allows him to be the guy he is?
09:20 When Jack was younger, we had a lot of study hall.
09:22 You know what I mean?
09:24 Office hours led him to
09:26 watching film
09:28 the way Jack was as a player in person.
09:30 He's learned at a young age
09:32 that film is important.
09:34 He's carried that into his
09:36 now professional career.
09:38 It's good to see. You really want that in a lot of things.
09:40 All of us should be a student of the game.
09:42 This is our job. It's your job to know it.
09:44 It's your job. Nobody else.
09:46 I can tell you all the information, but it's your job
09:48 as a professional to go there and do what you need to do
09:50 to get yourself ready and prepared to play.
09:52 He's done that, obviously, in the last
09:54 two or three weeks by his performance.
09:56 That's got to continue, but you'd like to see
09:58 everybody do it. If Nate's talking about
10:00 talking with Jack, I'll say, "Jack, why are you not bringing
10:02 Nate? Why are you not bringing me? Where's the rest of the
10:04 DBs? All the cornerspeeders?" We should all be
10:06 seeing the same thing.
10:08 This building isn't silver and black. We should all see the same
10:10 colors. Don't make up any of the
10:12 colors of your students.
10:14 Thank you.