The Las Vegas Raiders have a huge opportunity in front of them with three straight games at home, and the team’s interim head coach has laid down a challenge to fans to help make their home-field advantage play a major role in the pursuit of a playoff spot in 2023.
Just a month ago the Las Vegas Raiders seemed dead in the water and headed to another losing season under head coach Josh McDaniels. However, sensing their season was going down the toilet, owner Mark Davis took the bold step of firing the head coach, and general manager Dave Ziegler, after another loss in Week 8.
The decision has paid immediate dividends over the last three weeks. Although the Raiders fell to the AFC-leading Miami Dolphins this past weekend, the team is still 2-1 since Antonio Pierce was elevated from being the linebackers coach to the head coach for the rest of the season. The locker room atmosphere has received a huge positive boost and Las Vegas is now in the thick of the playoff chase.
Antonio Pierce demands Las Vegas Raiders fans help ahead of huge 3-game home set starting in Week 12
That is why the next three games are so important for the Silver-and-Black. In a rare moment of scheduling luck, the team’s next three matchups will be at home. Since their move to Vegas, they have not had quite the same home advantage as decades past due to being new in the city and the high level of tourism there. But this season has been better than most with the Raiders owning a 4-1 record at Allegient Stadium.
Pierce understands that if they can continue that strong play on their field they have a real chance to secure a playoff spot, which would likely land him the full-time head coach job. That is probably why the 45-year-old laid down a challenge to the team’s fanbase to help give them an extra boost in these next three massive games to come against the Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings, and Los Angeles Chargers.
“Allegiant Stadium has to be ours,” Pierce proclaimed during his weekly press conference on Tuesday. “… I’m calling on Raider Nation, our fan base, alumni, to show up and show out and bring that energy and bring that passion … That Black Hole has to be real. And when we make that a consensus effort and a mindset, and the fans do the same, it’s a hell of a place to play.”
Not only are the Las Vegas Raiders’ next three games at home, but four of their final six will be inside Allegiant Stadium.