Raiders fire three coaches after losing fifth straight game
By Joe Lago
Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce said the team would "look at everything" after falling to 2-7 with its fifth straight loss in a 41-24 road defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
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The Raiders had seen enough of offensive coordinator Luke Getsy's play calling. Late Sunday night, they fired Getsy after just nine games and also let go offensive line coach James Cregg and quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello.
We have relieved Luke Getsy, James Cregg, and Rich Scangarello of their duties with the Las Vegas Raiders.
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) November 4, 2024
A replacement for Getsy wasn't announced, but passing game coordinator Scott Turner, son of longtime NFL offensive coordinator and former Raiders head coach Norv Turner, is expected to be the front-runner to take over a Raiders offense that has gained just 4.6 yards per play (29th in the NFL) and scored only 18.7 points per game (26th).
At 2-7, #Raiders coach Antonio Pierce felt he needed to make some kind of changes, and more are expected. Former Washington OC Scott Turner is a logical candidate to take over as playcaller. https://t.co/ySFO7md9Ij
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 4, 2024
It has been a disastrous first full season as Raiders head coach for Pierce, whose encouraging nine-game interim stint last season earned him the permanent gig. He's continuing to learn on the job, and his harshest lesson so far was the hiring of Getsy.
Despite lackluster results as Chicago Bears offensive coordinator, Getsy was brought onboard by Pierce to construct a run-first attack to complement a talented Raiders defense. That physical rushing identity never materialized as Las Vegas has averaged an NFL-worst 3.5 yards per carry.
The Raiders' biggest problem, however, has been their terrible quarterback play. Then again, first-year general manager Tom Telesco didn't do Pierce (or Getsy) any favors when he signed journeyman backup Gardner Minshew to compete with second-year pro Aidan O'Connell for the starting job. Both Minshew and O'Connell struggled in Getsy's unimaginative passing attack.
The dismissals of Getsy, Cregg and Scangarello are a desperate attempt to salvage a 2024 season that's already been lost as far as posteason hopes. With the obvious offseason priority of drafting a franchise QB, Telesco and owner Mark Davis must determine who is the best head coach and play caller to groom a young quarterbacking talent like Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward.
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