Raiders to hire Pierce as coach
By The Associated Press
The Las Vegas Raiders have agreed to hire Antonio Pierce to be their next head coach and the two sides are finalizing the deal, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team hasn’t made the announcement.
Pierce, 45, took over as Las Vegas’ interim coach on Halloween night after Josh Mcdaniels was fired. The Raiders went 5-4 under his watch — the team went 8-9 overall — and the players were in his corner from the beginning.
“Why wouldn’t we keep going the direction we’re going?” Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby said after a 27-14 victory over Denver on Jan. 7. “The fact we’ve come together and done something special in such a short time is hard to do. We’ve got a guy who’s played at the highest level, won a Super Bowl, he’s been a captain, and now he’s a great coach and he’s a leader.”
Pierce also won over much of the fan base. The crowd chanted “AP!” as the game against the Broncos was winding down.
Pierce will be charged with restoring a championship pedigree to a onceiconic franchise that has missed the playoffs in 19 of the past 21 seasons.
LIONS FEVER CATCHING ON >>
Eminem stood alongside Pro Football Hall of Famers Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson before the Detroit Lions hosted a playoff game for the first time in three decades, soaking up an electric atmosphere at Ford Field.
“The energy in the building was amazing,” Johnson said in a telephone interview, taking a break from snowboarding in Utah. “You could feel it. I wish we could’ve had that kind of experience.” He’s not alone.
Detroit was an NFL powerhouse a long time ago, winning three league titles from 1952 to 1957 in the pre-super Bowl era, and the franchise had only one postseason win and that was with Sanders in the backfield 32 years ago and didn’t have success after the regular season with Johnson catching passes from Matthew Stafford.
Until last Sunday’s victory.
The Lions beat the Stafford-led Rams 24-23 in a wild-card game that whipped the crowd into so much of a frenzy that the decibels were almost as loud as a jet engine.
Detroit’s party might get kicked up a notch.
The Lions are hosting Tampa Bay on Sunday, playing a second home playoff game in one postseason for the first time in team history.
Singer Bob Seger, actor Jeff Daniels, actor, writer and producer Keegan-michael Key — all from Michigan — are expected to attend the divisional game along with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and one of the team’s biggest fans: Eminem, who is playfully asking coach Dan Campbell to put him in the game.
“I’m going to be there that night,” Eminem said.
“I will suit up, and I will score us the winning touchdown in the third quarter.”
COACHING UPDATES
BILLS STARTERS OUT >>
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Houston offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik is the seventh candidate to interview for the Tennessee Titans’ head coaching position . ... Former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel is among the 10 candidates to interview for the Chargers’ job replacing Brandon Staley, who was fired Dec. 15 . ... Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Thomas Brown is the sixth candidate to interview to replace Vrabel in Tennessee . ... Seattle offensive line coach Andy Dickerson interviewed with the Cleveland Browns for their offensive coordinator opening following the departure earlier this week of Alex Van Pelt . ... Titans defensive line coach Terrell Williams and New York Jets defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will serve as head coaches at the Senior Bowl, a weeklong audition for NFL prospects held in Mobile, Ala., and culminating in a game on Feb. 3.
Buffalo receiver Gabe Davis and cornerback Christian Benford are starters who will be out with knee injuries when the Bills host Kansas City in an AFC divisional playoff game on Sunday night. Bills coach Sean Mcdermott also said Friday that backup safety Taylor Rapp (calf) and backup linebacker Baylon Spector (back) also won’t play against the Chiefs. Davis caught 45 passes for 746 yards and seven touchdowns this season.