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Antonio Pierce evaluating everything over bye week following coaching changes

Head Coach Antonio Pierce believed he needed to make a few changes following the team's 41-24 defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello and offensive line coach James Cregg were relieved of their duties Sunday night, the team announced.

"Just performance, results and production," Pierce said Monday morning. "Just wasn't heading in the direction I wanted it to go. I'll use the next 24 to 48 hours to sit down with the staff and figure out who's going to call the offense going forward."

While evaluating who will take over offensive play-calling duties, he'll also be looking at his options at quarterback. Gardner Minshew II threw for 124 yards with a fumble lost before being replaced by Desmond Ridder in the second half. While Ridder completed nearly 70 percent of his passes with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Brock Bowers, he was sacked four times with a fumble lost.

As they take a breath before their next game against the Miami Dolphins, the defensive-minded Pierce will be placing an emphasis on putting his stamp on the other side of the ball.

"I just want to see us, like I always talked about, us looking right," Pierce said. "Sounding right, matching the philosophy and idea of what I preach, which is physicality, ability to run the ball, taking shots down the field, protecting the football first and foremost, disciplined up front. I think what we're going to do going forward, we've got to deal with what we have to.

"Obviously, we're dealing with injuries. A lot of new players are in and out of the lineup. We've got to do what's best and gives us the best opportunity to win, whatever that may be. If it's throwing the ball 60 times, fine, if it's running it 60 times, fine, but we've got to find a balance and an identity on offense going forward."

Fortunately for Pierce, he has several coaches on his staff with head coaching or offensive coordinator experience in the NFL – including assistant head coach Marvin Lewis, senior offensive assistant Joe Philbin, wide receivers coach Edgar Bennett and pass game coordinator Scott Turner.

"I'm obviously confident in my ability to lead and do what I'm asked to do as a head coach," he said. "I just had that conversation ... with our staff. And I asked them, what's their confidence level, where are we at? Because that's going to be reflective onto the players, players then reflect that onto the field in their play style. ... I have extreme confidence in the coaches that are here that I just met with going forward. And I told them they need to show that going forward throughout the building, right?

"We've got to get back to it. And shame on me, shame on us, for not doing that to our fullest because that's what our record is showing. So, obviously something was lacking there, but we need to get back to it. And it starts with self-reflection, and we'll do that as coaches first before we talk about players."

View the best photos from the Raiders' Week 9 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium.

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