The Las Vegas Raiders got their rear ends handed to them in Week 3, suffering a blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers. The Raiders probably did not see this coming. Andy Dalton, who was announced as the Panthers' starting QB ahead of the Week 3 game, carved up the Raiders defense.
#Raiders HC Antonio Pierce on the loss to the #Panthers:
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 23, 2024
"As the game went on, there were some individuals made business decisions, so we’ll make business decisions going forward as well."pic.twitter.com/LHLgWXpK8N
Throwing for over 300 yards and three touchdowns had the Raiders totally lost, and it's clear that head coach Antonio Pierce is in way over his head. His defense has been pretty underwhelming, and QB Gardner Minshew is not going to win this team many games, if any. Pierce spoke to the media, and you can hear what he said in the clip above.
This is just not ideal for the Raiders, who, according to Pierce, perhaps quit a bit as the game was clearly out of reach. This is honestly great news for the Denver Broncos, who will see the Raiders for the first time in the 2024 NFL Season in Week 5. This is actually the next home game for Denver, and it would be the first time Pierce would play a game in Denver as Las Vegas' head coach.
Some have speculated that at least one of the players making "business decisions" was their star wide receiver, Davante Adams, who definitely can't be thrilled that he's still on this team. Overall, no matter how you slice it, the Raiders dropping to 1-2 is just totally different than the Broncos being 1-2.
It's funny how the NFL works sometimes. Pierce was named the interim head coach of the Raiders after they fired Josh McDaniels, and rarely do interim coaches make it as a permanent head coach. This was bound to happen to the Raiders, as the team is way too flawed to sustain any sort of winning. Denver's progress in Week 3 makes me believe they can continue to gradually improve, so them being totally written off in 2024 is probably not a wise idea.
In a couple of weeks, the Denver Broncos play their next home game and host the lowly Las Vegas Raiders. These are the types of opponents that Denver needs to take advantage of. They're a better-coached team and have more of a foundation in place. The Raiders really let Andy Dalton and the Carolina Panthers walk into their building and get a win.
It's a hilarious sight to witness but does prove that the Raiders are truly in shambles.