Antonio Pierce Calls Out Raiders Players For Making “Business Decisions” In Embarrassing Loss To Andy Dalton-Led Panthers

How quickly life can change in the NFL. I love me some good candor from a head coach. Especially from an ex-player head coach. Especially from a former NFL linebacker whose defense got walked up and down the field by Andy Freaking Dalton of all quarterbacks. One week removed from the Las Vegas Raiders stunning the Ravens in Baltimore, Antonio Pierce threw some of his (unnamed) players under the bus and ran over them in the wake of Sunday's letdown loss to the Carolina Panthers. https://twitter.com/MySportsUpdate/status/1838007660194537801 At this time last week, the sky was falling in Charlotte. The Panthers' No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young got banished to the bench in favor of Cincinnati Bengals legend Andy Dalton. AKA The Red Rifle. AKA the best quarterback in the NFL in Week 3, Year 2024. https://twitter.com/NFLonCBS/status/1837983112334028974 ANDY!! My goodness. Anybody got a fire extinguisher handy? That wasn't meant to be a redhead joke, but rather the only defense Pierce could've mustered to cool Dalton off. The wily vet was more like Timothy Dalton during his run in the James Bond franchise the way he was firing from the pocket in Vegas. https://twitter.com/TampaBayTre/status/1837968170684240006 All the Bryce-Andy memes are absolutely sending me. This might be my favorite one: https://twitter.com/SleeperHQ/status/1837964599725117726 Now we're back to the consensus preseason discourse, where the Raiders were supposed to finish last in the AFC West and the Panthers should've been improved under new coach Dave Canales and a revamped offensive side of the ball. Only it was meant to be the big Year 2 leap from Bryce Young. Instead, we may very well be getting an Andy Dalton renaissance. My biggest congratulations to Whiskey Riff's resident Panthers fan, Casey Young. She's been through a lot, as have many Carolina fans amid the turbulence of David Tepper's ownership. At least for one Sunday, there's a bright beacon of hope coming from Panthers headquarters for the first time in a very long time. Or at least the first time since Bryce Young got drafted over CJ Stroud. The fact that Pierce didn't know what else to do but blame his players goes to show just how mind-blowing Dalton's afternoon was. This was the same defense that held reigning MVP Lamar Jackson and the Ravens in relative check a mere seven days ago. To quote Vince Lombardi, "What the hell's going on out here!?" Davante Adams knew at halftime this thing was a wrap — and he's the consummate professional. Guarantee you Pierce wasn't referring to him among the "business decision" players. https://twitter.com/NFLonCBS/status/1837970678835745123 We'll see if heads roll on the Raiders' transaction wire this coming week, or if some defenders get the Bryce Young timeout treatment. This is one of countless examples why the NFL is the greatest reality TV show on Earth.