Las Vegas Raiders Coach Antonio Pierece's entire post-game press conference after losing to the Indianapolis Colts.
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00:00 >> Yes, sir.
00:01 >> Antonio, you talked a lot about situational football today,
00:05 whether it was short yardage situations or some untimely penalties.
00:08 It felt like there were some self-inflicted wounds today.
00:11 How frustrating is that, and what was a winnable game for you guys?
00:14 >> Yeah, very difficult when the Raiders play the Raiders.
00:18 We did pretty good as far as being focused pre-snap.
00:20 That didn't happen today on both sides of the ball.
00:25 And again, that kind of caution again like this where it comes down to three
00:27 points, we have opportunities on third and fourth and one to keep trying to run.
00:32 >> Coach, did you see anything this week in practice that maybe thought maybe this
00:36 was coming or did this surprise you?
00:38 >> As far as what's on the mind?
00:39 >> The mental mistakes that the team's been avoiding.
00:41 >> No, I didn't see it.
00:42 I mean, same schedule, same thing we've been doing.
00:45 You can't point fingers at a player.
00:48 We gotta do a better job, obviously, as coaches, right?
00:50 That's what you wanna hear.
00:50 It's just a focus thing, right?
00:53 I mean, false starts, offsides, that's Raiders beating themselves.
00:57 And that's something that we, for seven games at least, we hadn't done.
01:01 And then today it kind of came up and it bit us.
01:03 >> Do you think that Jack Jones offside on that one point?
01:08 >> I didn't see it.
01:08 They called it, so I mean, that's, it went against us.
01:11 If it did, obviously something happened for them to make it.
01:14 It was too close.
01:15 >> There was also the passing of the parents,
01:18 kind of like the ball might have been out of balance.
01:20 Did you get a chance to look at that or talk to the referees about that?
01:23 >> No, I talked to them.
01:24 I just asked a simple question.
01:25 They felt like he had a clear white balls there.
01:27 They didn't think it was too far out of balance.
01:28 I don't wanna second guess the judges, referees, excuse me.
01:33 Just like I'm gonna be second guessing.
01:35 >> You had a couple of punts on fourth and one in the first half.
01:38 What were you thinking as far as,
01:39 is there confidence in the offense at that point, not really having it?
01:41 Or what were you thinking?
01:42 >> I don't think they were fourth and one.
01:43 I think it was like a long two, if I'm correct on that one.
01:45 Both fourth and one, we were going for it.
01:47 You got your analytics, you get a feel for the game.
01:51 Field position, I think, for the most part,
01:53 we've been playing really good football when we play field position.
01:56 Typically our defense has done a good job when they're backed up,
01:58 keeping teams backed up.
02:00 That might not have been the case every time today.
02:02 Just giving our offense a short field has been our mindset, yes sir.
02:05 >> Antonio, every game obviously in the NFL is a season into itself.
02:08 And now that you guys are kind of eliminated from the playoff chase,
02:12 what is the mood right now in the team going forward?
02:14 >> The guys are disappointed.
02:15 Why wouldn't you be?
02:15 I mean, we won every game, had a great opportunity there,
02:18 right there at the very end.
02:19 Moving forward, we get paid to play 17 games.
02:22 I'm being paid to instruct and coach for 17 games.
02:28 And we got one at home that we're excited about.
02:31 We'll move forward like we've done everything.
02:32 We won the game, I'll be here with the set to say that we're moving forward.
02:34 We'll be off of this by 24 hours.
02:37 Get ready for a divisional opponent at home against the Broncos.
02:39 And we're excited about that, another opportunity for us to get better.
02:42 Season ain't over until it's over.
02:43 I get the playoffs and that's all that, that's all fine and dandy.
02:45 But we got another game to play this at home and we're ready to do it.
02:48 >> I'm sure you guys felt good about the play with the throwback to
02:52 Jacoby back to back to 80.
02:55 But in retrospect, do you feel like that's a play where maybe don't get too cute,
02:59 don't just go get the first down, right?
03:00 >> Yeah, that's something I probably need to look back at and
03:03 just make some better decisions, like what you have going for it.
03:07 >> AP, moving ahead, is it difficult when you don't know if the game's Saturday or
03:10 Sunday, or maybe you've been told already, but-
03:12 >> No, we haven't been told.
03:13 I mean, we're ready for both.
03:15 The players will be off tomorrow, coaches will be in tomorrow,
03:17 get ready for the Broncos.
03:18 And obviously, it's a divisional fault, which is really good for us.
03:20 Somebody we know well, even though we haven't played since week one.
03:23 But we'll be ready.
03:24 We've been doing a good job with this position,
03:25 coaches getting ahead on the next opponent.
03:27 So like I said, we'll put this game away and watch on the plane and
03:32 move on to the Broncos, sir.
03:33 >> And if Josh gave it a go before the game, was it kind of close on that one, or?
03:37 >> Yeah, he's gonna keep fighting, man.
03:38 Listen, I'm not gonna ever shut down a guy like that.
03:40 If he wants to go out there and battle, and I said that earlier in the week to you
03:44 guys, if he has an opportunity, I'm gonna go with him.
03:46 And if it comes up to two and a half hours like he did today,
03:49 you gotta be honest, you gotta be realistic.
03:50 I told him he has to be realistic with himself, that we don't wanna put him in
03:54 any further damage for his future and for what's best for the Raiders.
03:58 So it was just decided and acted.
04:00 >> And as a former player, it's hard to get you guys off the field.
04:03 Is that where now, where you are in your position,
04:05 that you can look them in the eye and say, hey, man,
04:07 I'm gonna look out for you more than maybe- >> Sometimes you gotta protect
04:09 the player from the player, all right?
04:11 And I think that's really what I try to do with not only him, but
04:14 Colton Miller and Max Crosby as well.
04:16 Hey guys, listen, I love it.
04:17 I love it. First of all, let's say this.
04:18 Our guys wanna play.
04:19 I get we lose, I get that we lost the game, but our guys wanna play, man.
04:23 Even if we won this game, there was no guarantee we're gonna get playoffs anyway.
04:27 A lot of things have to go our way.
04:28 Not sure how that goes, but one thing I'll say is these men in this locker room,
04:31 these coaches, they love playing, they love being Raiders.
04:34 They're proud about being Raiders.
04:36 I'm proud about coaching them, proud of coaching them, guys.
04:38 And listen, we're gonna keep rolling and keep fighting.
04:40 I can promise you this, we'll put the best 11 out there whenever we play next week.
04:45 >> This has kind of been an interesting season for Aiden O'Connell.
04:47 He's a rookie quarterback, and
04:48 there's gonna be ups and downs with a rookie quarterback.
04:50 How do you feel like he's handled things and grown through this process?
04:55 >> Yeah, I mean, I think it's a growing process.
04:56 You watch him, I thought today, listen, he, I think the game,
04:59 that two minute drive, he looked pretty sharp.
05:00 He was rolling.
05:02 He doesn't really blink.
05:03 He got hit early and often today.
05:05 I thought he did a decent job.
05:06 His game went on, he's keeping his eyes up instead of down, looking at the rush.
05:10 And with any quarterback, which is the hardest position to play,
05:15 we wanna sit there and pinpoint everything.
05:17 But when you look at what he's, and we're asking him to do,
05:20 I think you could say that he's gotten better.
05:23 I think he's gotten better.
05:23 Now, what happens in the future, I mean, that goes for all of us.
05:26 We have to see what happens later.
05:28 >> Divide that 20 targets, I think.
05:30 Is that a focus of the game plan, or just kind of the way it happened?
05:32 >> Kind of the way it happened.
05:33 I mean, I still love to run the ball 30 plus times, but
05:36 21 of those with 13 receptions.
05:39 That's your star player out there, man.
05:43 Jimmy's and Joe's at this point in the season.
05:44 You wanna see your star player go, get him opportunities to make plays.
05:47 He did for us, he showed up in the red zone, which was big for us,
05:49 and some third downs.
05:51 Again, the focus is always just, really the focus is how to win.
05:54 And as we look through the game plan, as we go through it, okay,
05:58 love to run the ball a little bit more.
05:59 That's just AP, right?
06:00 Love to run the ball a little bit more.
06:01 Love to be tough on third and one, and fourth and one, and things like that.
06:04 But when you have, you can take advantage of certain players on the other side,
06:07 you do that, and that's what we try to do today.
06:09 >> You guys good?
06:11 >> Thank you, sir.