For as many franchises around the NFL that clearly have an idea of ​​how an organization should be built and operated, there seems to be twice as many who went in the opposite direction. Much to the dismay of Black Hole members who reside in Oakland, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and across the country, the Raiders are one of those organizations that just can’t seem to get it right.

Before I go any further, let me clarify that I firmly believed the Raiders made the right decision to retain Antonio Pierce as full-time head coach. Since it’s only been nine games, it might be an overreaction for me to go so far as to retract that statement, but that half-season sample size hasn’t inspired much confidence. And frankly, the way Pierce has handled the difficulties and disarray within the organization seems problematic.

By Tashan Reed of The Athletic, Antonio Pierce said Monday morning that the decision to fire offensive coordinator Luke Getsy immediately after Sunday’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals It was “100 percent” his decision. On the subject of Getsy, pulling the plug so soon actually seems like the right decision, because as someone who has been paying close attention to the way Luke Getsy called plays for the Chicago Bears during the 2022 or 2023 seasons, I could have told you that this hire was doomed to failure.

But where Antonio Pierce certainly erred was in how he handled the immediate aftermath of that firing. The Raiders head coach noted Monday that he has not yet decided who will run plays moving forward, nor has he decided who will start at quarterback. Having unknowns at point guard and quarterback, even with a bye week coming up, is a serious problem.

It doesn’t help that the Raiders were forced to trade a receiver with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons just a few weeks ago.

Raiders quarterback uncertainty defines desperate 2024 season

Any questions about how the 2024 season was going to play out for the Las Vegas Raiders could have been answered back in August, when Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell were seemingly locked in a bind to win – or rather stumble upon – the starting quarterback position in Vegas. If memory serves me correctly, it was Gardner Minshew who started week 1but the Raiders made so many changes at quarterback that I admittedly lost track.

Now with Aidan O’Connell on IR with thumb injuryit’s Minshew and Desmond Ridder who will face off over the next week to see who gets the start when the Raiders return to action in Week 11 to face the Miami Dolphins. Ridder signed with Las Vegas just a few weeks ago, and was put into action on Sunday when Antonio Pierce decided to bench Gardner Minshew. Ridder completed 11 of 16 passes for 74 yards and a touchdown in two quarters of action.