Las Vegas Raiders Coach Antonio Pierce Post Win Over the Denver Broncos in the Season Finale
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00:00 >> Okay, so to look.
00:02 >> There you go.
00:02 >> A piece has taken over as interim, breach, toughness, physicality and violence.
00:06 How proud are you of, or excuse me,
00:09 how happy were you with that display today in your final showing as interim?
00:13 >> Yeah, that's what we talked about.
00:14 I've been preaching since day one.
00:16 Really bought into it the last week of the season when people were making business
00:19 decisions that they want to play football for 60 minutes.
00:22 I think our guys took pride on it, pride into it.
00:26 Really proud of our guys that last drive offensively, what they were able to do.
00:30 And then defensively finish the game.
00:32 And to be honest, I get the pretty stuff and throwing the ball around.
00:36 But at the end of the day, football is meant to be physical and violent and
00:40 hit one another and that's what we wanna be.
00:43 >> And we've kind of talked about it since you've taken over, right?
00:46 You've had the unwavering support of the locker room, the fan base.
00:49 They're sending down AP Chance while the game is still going on.
00:52 You guys have a special moment at the end of the game.
00:55 Considering this is your childhood fan base, I'm just kind of wondering how was
00:58 it though to have that unwavering support from the fan base?
01:01 >> Good, I got some time now to reflect on that and
01:03 how the season's over with.
01:05 We'll handle our exit physical interviews here over the next couple days.
01:10 And obviously I got some other stuff to handle.
01:12 And then I'll have a chance to reflect over these last nine to ten weeks,
01:17 which has been very humbling and honor for me.
01:21 >> Hey Pete, obviously you've been able to emotionally motivate the players in
01:26 a way that hasn't been done recently with the franchise.
01:30 I'm wondering how would you assess the X and
01:35 O's strategy standpoint in terms of making your case to Mark Davis as coach?
01:41 >> Well, I think it's been on full display.
01:42 I think our style of play, both offensive and defensively has changed.
01:47 I think we rushed for over 100 yards again.
01:49 I don't know how many times that's been over the last nine.
01:52 I know it's been quite a few.
01:54 You see the shots.
01:55 I mean, we'll get into all that X and O stuff.
01:58 I get it, player, coach, rah rah guy, but
02:00 I didn't get to where I'm at by not knowing football.
02:03 >> AP, you're only the third team since 2000 to have two games
02:09 with zero penalties, the 01 Jets and 13 Patriots.
02:12 I'm just curious, you came in preaching discipline and
02:15 these guys bought into what you were selling.
02:17 Can you talk about your pride in yet another performance with zero penalties?
02:22 >> Yeah, I'm hoping, and we'll get the final stats here in a second,
02:25 that we finish number one as far as the least penalized team in the national
02:29 football league, and I'm sure that's a rate of record.
02:33 >> [LAUGH] >> Tim Woods, sports fan,
02:38 Brad, congratulations on the W, the end of season.
02:42 You have a lot of support out there from the fans.
02:44 And just wanted to know, just like curious George,
02:47 what did Mark Davis say to you before the game?
02:50 We saw you guys have a brief moment, and
02:53 just curious if you can say anything about what he said to you.
02:56 >> Just win, baby.
02:57 >> [LAUGH] >> How's that?
03:00 [BLANK_AUDIO]
03:03 >> Okay, there's been so much speculation about your future here,
03:08 whether or not you'll be the permanent head coach.
03:11 I'm just curious about champ Kelly.
03:14 Your thoughts about him staying, also having his interim tag taken off.
03:19 What is your relationship with him?
03:21 And how has it grown in the nine weeks that you've been the head coach?
03:25 >> Yeah, obviously, we've gotten a lot closer over the last nine to ten weeks
03:28 talking, putting our thoughts together,
03:30 trying to get the best roster, the best product we can on the field.
03:35 My thoughts on champ, I think he's done a hell of a job.
03:38 Obviously, he's well respected throughout the league.
03:41 He's done it, he's been there, he's been in winning organizations.
03:45 And you just gotta look at what we've done over the last nine, ten weeks, and
03:47 I'll let everybody else kind of judge that.
03:49 But champ is a good man, good person.
03:51 Obviously, you can see our players and our staff respects him.
03:54 What they've done from a personal standpoint as well.
03:57 I mean, look at our rookies that's really shown up.
03:58 He's a part of that process as well.
04:00 So I think he's put himself in a good position.
04:02 >> AP, you guys, the last nine weeks have built a foundation that's helped turn
04:09 around this season, but you are retained.
04:11 How do you feel like you can maybe build on that moving forward to maybe make
04:14 the playoffs and continue to improve and push the franchise forward?
04:17 >> Yeah, I mean, you just keep growing.
04:18 I mean, you talk about coaching, you talk about foundation,
04:21 you talk about your DNA.
04:22 Talk about what you wanted to look like, your structure, your coaches,
04:25 your players, having your identity to meet.
04:27 Our players and our coaches will be a reflection of me.
04:31 And that will go forward as we move into this bad boy.
04:35 But there's a lot of things that I can still grow from.
04:38 This was a great experience, great kickstart.
04:40 I think we do have a solid foundation that we built so far, but
04:44 there's more to go.
04:45 And no excuse, but it is difficult to do in the middle of the season.
04:49 And to get guys to buy in and
04:50 really believe that that's how you're gonna win and that's the way to win.
04:54 We got time to do presentations, put that in OTAs, mini camps, training camp,
04:59 get that bonding, that chemistry together.
05:01 I think it'll be a pretty big watch.
05:04 >> AP, another excellent performance by Aiden protecting the football,
05:09 no interceptions, not even the same quarterback from when you started and
05:14 he took over.
05:14 I'm just curious about his maturation and the pride you feel and
05:18 how he hasn't cost you.
05:20 >> Yeah, I thought tonight was really tough.
05:22 He battled some injuries.
05:25 He's on leave, go in the locker room.
05:29 I looked at him, wasn't quite sure if he was gonna battle through it.
05:32 But I've said it before, he's a mentally tough individual, very mature.
05:38 He's growing in front of our eyes, full display, with ten starts this year,
05:43 great opportunity for him to be evaluated going forward.
05:47 And I think more and more he's earned the trust of his peers and his coaches.
05:51 The kid just drove us 99 yards down the field and
05:56 made some hell of a plays throwing the football.
05:58 That was impressive and he did away with it.
06:00 You're talking about situational football, clocking it.
06:02 I mean, very calm, very poised.
06:04 I think everything we worked on in practice was on full display tonight and
06:07 I'm very proud of him.
06:09 >> Go Vic in that case.
06:10 >> How much fun have you had the last two months?
06:13 >> It's been fun.
06:16 I can tell the guys, I'm a little hoarse.
06:18 I hit the scar there, it got me a little choked up.
06:21 But I was having fun as a linebacker coach, that was cool, right?
06:28 But it's really cool being a head coach of the Las Vegas Rangers.
06:31 It's really cool being in front of a room of men who buy in and
06:35 believe what you're telling them, what you're saying.
06:37 How to do things, how to do things maybe differently than everybody expects you
06:41 to do it, maybe not the norm.
06:42 But I love football, man.
06:46 I said it before, it was my first love.
06:47 Football never cheat on me.
06:51 They don't talk back to me, it's always there.
06:54 And that's something I appreciate about it,
06:56 because when you walk away from it, it always turns you right back.
06:59 And to be with organization and the men and the staff and
07:03 the people that I work with every day and watch them now smile and
07:06 have that kind of enthusiasm about going to work every day.
07:10 And just like we talked about in the press, you guys are cracking jokes with me now.
07:15 You guys are having fun too.
07:17 >> [LAUGH] >> That's good.
07:19 Don't take life so serious, man, it's okay.
07:23 It's gonna be tomorrow.
07:24 >> We'll do two more, we'll go Case and then Allen.
07:27 >> Hey, I know you said you'll have time to reflect on what this whole thing meant
07:30 to you, but at the end there when you had that moment and the crowd was chanting AP,
07:34 it seemed like you were playing to them a little bit.
07:35 It seemed like you really enjoyed that.
07:37 What's going through your mind?
07:38 What did that moment mean to you?
07:40 >> Well, if you kind of watch me every game after the game, me and Bob,
07:46 we get our track shoes on and we sprint to the head coach and we sprint out.
07:49 Cuz I wanna dap up all our players.
07:51 But I thought I could take a minute in a moment to address the fans.
07:56 I think they've been very supportive since I've taken over as interim head coach.
08:00 They were loud each and every home game.
08:02 It wasn't a 60/40 home game.
08:05 There was a Raider crowd in there today.
08:06 It was a group that was loud on third downs.
08:09 I was getting after it.
08:10 And just show them appreciation.
08:12 At the end of the day, when I was a player, I loved hearing that noise from the crowd.
08:16 And to walk out and see the black coat and those guys just getting after it,
08:20 I just wanted to love them up.
08:21 Cuz listen, what if I'm not here next year?
08:24 I don't wanna let that go by.
08:25 [BLANK_AUDIO]
08:28 >> Hey, P, you mentioned that Eden's growth since his start with you.
08:33 Can you just self-assess your own growth from day one to today?
08:37 >> Yeah, patience, a little bit more poise, getting ahead of the game.
08:44 It is different when you're the head coach.
08:48 Just being linebacker, coach, defense guy.
08:50 I forgot what your specialty is, court hand, what your specialty is, guys.
08:52 What are your kickers, where your whole line at?
08:55 Everything, clock management, obviously, situation of football,
08:58 end of half, end of game, timeout usage, red flag, challenges.
09:04 I mean, it's been a learning experience.
09:07 I don't know how anybody goes into this saying that they're ready for it.
09:12 You need live reps.
09:13 You can mimic everything in practice, but
09:15 there's nothing like live reps and going through those situations.
09:18 You can prep them, you can watch them.
09:19 But when that clock's ticking, it goes a little bit faster.
09:22 But for me, I think the process of working with our staff,
09:27 our analytical people, and getting better each and every game has been my goal.
09:30 And that will continue to be my goal as I'm in the seat.
09:33 >> One more, Paul.
09:34 >> Antonio, beyond coming off the field and
09:37 hearing the crowd chanting your initials, AP, AP, AP, as you're coming off the field.
09:40 You walk in that locker room, you see Jim Plunkett, you see Charles Woodson,
09:43 Richard Seymour, Ted Hendricks, Jim Otto, Mike Haynes.
09:46 They're all in there advocating on your behalf.
09:48 What does that feel like to know that you got those types of people kind of
09:52 campaigning for you, so to speak, to keep the job?
09:54 >> Yeah, one thing about Mr. Davis, and it started with Al Davis,
09:57 obviously, is the alumni and the players and having them around.
10:00 And you've seen this since I've been here.
10:02 How many games they've been here?
10:03 Two, three, I mean, loads of them, buses of them at our games and on our sideline.
10:09 And I felt, and we talked about it, that once we won this game,
10:12 once we won this game, that we wanted them to celebrate with us.
10:16 Charles Woodson was at our practice a few weeks ago, and
10:20 he talked about, man, how cool it was watching our guys smoke a cigar.
10:24 To be in that locker room and having that moment.
10:25 He said, I wanna be a part of that.
10:28 And when he said that, it registered to me and Max and some other guys.
10:31 We said, listen, we wanna make sure that they're a part of this as well,
10:34 because when AP's gone, they'll be here.
10:37 When Max is gone, he'll be a part of that group as well.
10:39 And there's nothing like doing that with past legends.
10:42 Obviously, gold jackets, hall of famers, the best of the best, rings, winners.
10:48 They know what it's like.
10:49 And for them to intermingle with our guys post game, I mean,
10:52 you can't take that for granted, man.
10:54 That's special.
10:56 That's what this organization is about.