The Raiders previous season was difficult, with a win-loss record of 8-9. Antonito Pierce, the Raiders new head coach, predicts that they will have a better season this year. “They got a chip on their shoulder. They’re aggravated (sic.), and that’s good. And as long as we [channel] that energy into something positive on game day, we’ll be fine.” Pierce was brought to the Raider organization in 2023 as interim coach. Recently, he has been signed to head coach on a four to five year contract. He was a former linebacker for the Washington Commanders and then moved over to the New York Giants.
Pierce made the decision to replace rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell with veteran quarterback Gardner Minshew. O’Connell is still under a rookie contract so Pierce thought it would be better to choose a veteran to start off this season strong. Minshew was brought over from the Indianapolis Colts. He played a total of 17 games with 15 total touchdowns in the 2023 season.
O’Connell was one of the team leaders for the Raiders with a total of 2,218 passing yds. Another player that was a team leader was Josh Jacobs. Jacobs was the Raiders starting running back with a total of 805 rushing yards. Unfortunately, Jacobs signed a four year contract with the Green Bay Packers in free agency. One more star player is wide receiver Davante Adams. Adams had a total of 1,144 receiving yards in the 2023 season. The Raiders first regular season game is September 8th against the Chargers. The Chargers are ranked higher than the Raiders which might lead to a loss on the Raiders side. Raiders fans are still dedicated to this team and are hoping for more wins this season. BCHS Senior, Gavin Flake comments,”I’m excited for this season. I’m hopeful that their new quarterback will help lead them to many victories.” The Raider nation is still staying strong.
