BREAKING NEWS: Four potential offensive coordinators for the Las Vegas Raiders to back Antonio Pierce.
Antonio Pierce may end up being the Las Vegas Raiders’ next coach, if the team respects the wishes of its players. The Raiders will assess potential 2024 offensive coordinators after the interim head coach stays on.
When Josh McDaniels’ offense wasn’t working, Las Vegas fired its head coach, and the defense improved under Pierce’s leadership. The Raiders’ offensive was still among the worst in the NFL, though. In addition to being able to do anything with the offensive weaponry, Las Vegas has to locate a strong offensive play-caller who can also provide a young coach valuable experience.
Las Vegas Raiders offense:
Four possibilities to be the Raiders offensive coordinator for the 2024 season have been identified, if Las Vegas decides to retain Pierce as head coach. Interestingly, we took into account that long-term instability at quarterback and head coach will make this a less desirable position to open coaching positions, and we gave priority to coaches with decades of experience.
Assessing potential offensive coordinators for the Las Vegas Raiders
Eric Bieniemy, the offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders.
NFL teams wanted Eric Bieniemy to demonstrate that he wasn’t a beneficiary of having Travis Kelce, Andy Reid, and Patrick Mahomes, so he left the Kansas City Chiefs. He took on a challenging role with the Washington Commanders, and some progress was made during his first season of managing all play-calling responsibilities. But just as importantly, without Bieniemy, the Chiefs’ offense also saw a significant setback.
Bieniemy provides something different to Pierce, even though he lacks the head-coaching expertise we’d like to partner him with. There is a commonality among the Raiders’ holdover coaches, including Pierce, in their approach to player relations. Bieniemy is a tough coach who will not hesitate to confront and discipline his top players for infractions. Bieniemy has been coaching NFL players for more than ten years, although he has never held the position as head coach.
You have a cohesive team that works well together when you combine that with Pierce’s teaching style. Additionally, Bieniemy’s love of running the ball and spreading the field should help the Raiders offense become more reliable in 2024. If all goes according to plan, Bieniemy may turn a strong season for the Raiders’ offense into a head coaching position somewhere.
It is only fitting that Arthur Smith be held accountable for his actions with the Atlanta Falcons. His distribution of touches had little to do with quarterback play, even though he never had the quarterback to carry out his plan. In Atlanta, Smith may have been too stiff and unaccommodating due to media criticism and his underutilization of his finest players, as well as fantasy football. But getting dismissed alters a coach.
Related: Las Vegas Raiders coaching candidates
Smith should find the Falcons experience to be humbling. Not to mention, Atlanta brought Bijan Robinson on board towards the end of the year. However, Smith was truly calling up one of the top AFC offenses before to his tenure with the Falcons.
| PPG | Yards per Play | Red Zone TD rate | |
| 2019 | 24.9 (8th) | 6.0 (5th) | 77.36% (1st) |
| 2020 | 29.6 (4th) | 6.1 (5th) | 74,24% (2nd) |
Smith need to consider running for offensive coordinator with the Raiders if he plans to become a coach in 2024. Pierce might benefit from Smith’s head coaching background and grow from his errors. Having a quarterback-friendly offense that successfully employs the ground game and attack defenses with play-action would also be beneficial to the Raiders’ offense. Smith would be a valuable addition to a coaching staff that lacks much experience, even though it wouldn’t be a headline move.
If head-coaching experience and leadership are priorities for Las Vegas and there’s a desire to surround Pierce with the best supporting cast possible, Frank Reich would be a quality addition. The 62-year-old is certainly done as a head coach, with stints in Indianapolis and Carolina ending that career path for him. However, he’s still widely respected around the NFL for his offensive intellect and ability to help quarterbacks.
Las Vegas also wouldn’t repeat the same mistakes the Panthers’ organization did. Reich would call plays for the Raiders’ offense, work one-on-one with the new quarterback and reportedly directly to Pierce. Two decades of coaching experience would be huge for Las Vegas and Reich still carries the name recognition that should carry weight with veteran players. Culture is important to the Raiders and Reich is a good fit.
Jim Caldwell, former Detroit Lions head coach
Regretfully, Jim Caldwell probably won’t have another chance to lead an NFL team. Nonetheless, the 69-year-old coach has been an NFL coach since 2002, having had coaching positions in Carolina, Detroit, Indianapolis, Baltimore, Tampa Bay, and Miami.
| PPG | 3rd Down rate | Yards per Play | |
| 2015 (Lions HC) | 22.4 | 36.95% | 5.4 |
| 2016 (Lions HC) | 20.7 | 41.26% | 5.5 |
| 2017 (Lions HC) | 25.6 | 38.76% | 5.5 |
under the past 20+ years, Caldwell has been the best head coach of the Lions aside from Dan Campbell, as Matthew Stafford gushed about playing under him. And even if Caldwell’s offenses didn’t always have the best weapons, they were nonetheless productive.
