Pierce takes over Raiders
Changes kept coming to the Las Vegas Raiders on Wednesday, and it’s up to interim coach Antonio Pierce to make sense of it all and try to salvage the season.
A day after the club fired coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler, offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi was let go, quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree was promoted to offensive coordinator, and Aidan O’Connell replaced starting QB Jimmy Garoppolo.
Pierce’s first game will be Sunday at home against the Giants, for whom he played from 2005-09 and started all 16 games on the 2007 team that won the Super Bowl.
Pierce, 45, deflected any personal meaning of facing the Giants, saying the game was too important for the Raiders (3-5) to be concerned about that.
“This is a great opportunity for myself,” Pierce said. “I’m humbled, I’m honored, and I don’t take it lightly. We’re tired of losing. It’s not a good feeling for a production-based business.”
The change in coaches assured there would be a switch at quarterback, and now Raiders management and coaches get to see if O’Connell — drafted in the fourth round this year out of Purdue — is the long-term answer. If not, Las Vegas will have a quarterback-rich draft next year to try to find that player.
Heinicke to start
Taylor Heinicke has moved past turnover-plagued Desmond
Ridder as the Falcons’ starting quarterback for Sunday’s game against the Vikings. Coach Arthur Smith said the decision to start Heinicke was made “with all the variables considering everything.” Smith would not commit to Heinicke keeping the job past Sunday. “Really our focus is short term and what gives us the best chance for Sunday,” he said. The move comes with the Falcons (4-4) tied with the Saints for first place in the NFC South
. . . Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson returned to practice after being sidelined for three starts and missing most of four games with an injured right shoulder. Coach Kevin Stefanski isn’t ready to make a decision on his starting quarterback for this week. He said that if Watson, who is dealing with a strained rotator cuff, can’t play, backup
P.J. Walker would face the Cardinals on Sunday . . . Giants quarterback Daniel Jones practiced fully for the first time since injuring his neck more than three weeks ago and pronounced himself ready to play against the Raiders on Sunday . . . Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins had surgery for his torn right Achilles’. The team announced the procedure went as planned.