Raiders seem to be enjoying the Antonio Pierce experience
After the Las Vegas Raiders fired their general manager and head coach, there was reason enough to worry about how long it might take for the team to find its footing. Depending on the path GM Dave Ziegler's successor takes, it still could be a while, but it appears one piece of the equation is solving itself with relative ease: Head coach.
Antonio Pierce stepped up from linebackers coach to interim head coach in the light of Josh McDaniels's firing. Several other staffers were fired shortly after McDaniels, but Pierce retained his spot in the organization while also earning a promotion.
With it came a major opportunity to prove himself as a head coaching candidate in the NFL, either to the Raiders or any other team that might be looking for a first-time head coach to mix up its locker room culture.
So far, it seems as though the Raiders will be the most likely landing spot for Pierce, and he is emerging the most likely candidate for their head coaching search.
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport has reported that team owner Mark Davis has been, "impressed," by Pierce and the team's back-to-back wins since he took over as interim. He says sources say that Davis took note of the instant energy shift Pierce brought to the locker room upon taking over for McDaniels. The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported similar themes in her latest column (subscription required).
Players are casting unofficial votes for him as well:
"Davis consulted with several team leaders before firing McDaniels, and he does appear to value the opinion of the locker room. If that's the case, score one for Pierce. Players have commented publicly and privately about how things are finally headed in the right direction and how his motivational tactics are working."
It seems to be Pierce's job to lose at this point.
The Falcons are bringing Desmond Ridder back up off the bench
Desmond Ridder is back off the bench, expected to be the Atlanta Falcons' starting quarterback the rest of the season and perhaps beyond. Ridder started the first eight games of the year and amassed a 4-4 record with six passing touchdowns and six interceptions, and three rushing touchdowns.
Taylor Heinicke took over as the starter in Weeks 9 and 10, Ridder coming in to relieve in the second of those contests. The two quarterbacks have nearly identical QB ratings so far this season as Falcons at 84.1 for Ridder and 84.2 for Heinicke.
The substitution and benching was not a permanent demotion for Ridder, though, as the team apparently always expected to turn back to him. The temporary demotion was designed to create a, "reset," according to James Palmer of NFL Network, with he and Ian Rapoport reporting that Ridder will come off the bench to start again for Atlanta's next game in Week 12 against the New Orleans Saints.
The two-game stint with Ridder on the bench did not come with overall good results for the Falcons, who went 0-2 and fell to 4-6 in the duration. Still, the NFC South remains one of the most middling divisions in the NFL, so there is an opportunity for the Falcons to win a playoff slot if Ridder gets the team back on track.
The Jets are all-in on Davante Adams, no matter how long it takes
At the NFL trade deadline, the New York Jets tried to talk the Raiders into a Davante Adams trade, but the Raiders had bigger fish to fry. A few days following the deadline, after no substantial moves were made by Las Vegas, the team fired its general manager Dave Ziegler and head coach Josh McDaniels.
Suddenly, it made sense why the Raiders didn't opt to trade Adams despite an offer being on the table from the Jets and possibly more from other teams if they officially made him available him in trade talks.
New York isn't giving up on the mission, though, expected to pursue an Adams trade this offseason according to insider Adam, Schefter. Adams, for his part, likely would be open to such a deal. It all comes down to the Raiders and how willing they are to trade him.
Las Vegas likely didn't trade Adams despite knowing they'd move on from Ziegler and McDaniels in hopes of keeping him in place for the team's next general manager to make the ultimate decision on. He's under team control through the 2026 season and is therefore a sizable building block for whoever takes over in Vegas. The next GM could choose to build a team around Adams or trade him to build a stockpile of draft picks.
New York, of course, is motivated to acquire Adams to pair him with former teammate Aaron Rodgers, who suffered an Achilles' tendon tear in Week 1 of the season but appears hopeful to return for a potential postseason appearance. He certainly appears engaged enough to push retirement off at least one more year and play for the Jets again next season. New York's interest in Adams is certainly motivated by planning around Rodgers.
Schefter suggests that the Raiders appetite for a Davante Adams trade will largely depend on how their season ends and whether or not the Raiders can prove they can be competitive as presently built. If they spiral, a trade appears to be more likely to be on the table.
