Atlanta Falcons 15, Las Vegas Raiders 9
Q. Yeah, Antonio, you guys have been pretty sound in the special teams this year: Three blocks in the kicking game, a fair catch inside the five, things that you guys haven't normally done this year. Any...
ANTONIO PIERCE: Bad day in office. Really bad day in office. Bottom line.
Q. In a close game like this, special teams comes into play pretty big I imagine.
ANTONIO PIERCE: All teams. We need all three phases to play well. Obviously we struggle losing nine in a row, you can't have those mistakes. We did today and it was a bad day in office. Bottom line.
Q. Antonio, at the end of the first half, you guys had two time-outs but held onto them until pretty late there. Were you trying to preserve them for the last minute? What was the thought process behind not calling them earlier on in that drive at the end?
ANTONIO PIERCE: The first quarter -- first half you said?
Q. End of the first half, end of the second quarter when you guys end up running the clock out after Desmond got sacked.
ANTONIO PIERCE: Yeah Desmond got sacked, we just took it to halftime.
Q. (Inaudible).
ANTONIO PIERCE: Yeah, it's a lower leg injury, I believe ankle. Got to get more x-rays.
Q. Your thoughts on Desmond Ridder tonight?
ANTONIO PIERCE: I thought he battled. Specially after the interception, you know, he just got nicked up. He's a fighter. Obviously he -- personal game for him, but I thought what we want to do until late in the game with the interception and obviously we got one on the hail Mary. Gave us a chance. We're down there inside the 40-yard line, plus 40 to give our team one more chance, one more opportunity, and he fought, proud of his effort and the way he competed.
Q. AP, even this week at owners' meetings Mark Davis mentioned how these guys are just still fighting for you and I'm curious offense gets a slow start but in the end, they're still fighting. What is it with a 2-11, now 2-12 team that you're able to do to continue to get these ghouls to still keep fighting and battling.
ANTONIO PIERCE: Yeah, it really ain't about me. It's not about individuals, it's about the team. This is what we've been building on and working on since offseason, into training camp and into the system. Like you saw them in there at the very end of the game, everybody dapping each other, loving each other up and just, man, keep fighting. Take the day off tomorrow, get back to work. Blue collar group, right? Just hasn't gone our way which is now becoming, you know, transparent and redundant but it's not really about them fighting for me. We're fighting for one another. We understand where we're at. We get what's going on but I think these guys just showed you in a game we're in the fourth quarter it's done, right? 3-15 or whatever, and these guys ourselves a chance, went down and score and we got the ball with less than two minutes again to go out there and win the game.
Q. What was the game plan offensively and what was the reason for the slow start?
ANTONIO PIERCE: The plan was to score points, run the football, take care of the football, don't have turnovers and penalties.
Q. Antonio, that last play when that ball is flying in the endzone, what's going through your head? It was only two seconds on the clock, but how long did that seem like it was staying up in the air for you?
ANTONIO PIERCE: Yeah, I just needed it to come down in silver and black. It didn't. Just watching these guys compete. Two opportunities I thought a good job, listen, I don't know if we got more two- minute drives in the fourth quarter than any other team in football right now, but these guys find a way to keep going, dog tired, and just, you know, put some extra players in there. Thought Desmond did a good job throwing it up there. It's a jump ball situation. We've seen in the league this year where it goes both ways and, hell, we need a break, right? We need a little prayer. Just didn't go our way.
Q. You guys have been stretched pretty thin defensively losing Maxx, obviously, this week. They still show up to play. What's that a testament to?
ANTONIO PIERCE: Everybody. Coaches, players, staff, organization, I mean, guys are all in. Listen, man, just we're not winning. I don't know what else to tell y'all. We're not winning. Shit do I want to win? Hell, yeah, I want to win. Do I want to keep sitting here looking at the same God damn thing every week, having to same discussion with y'all? Nah. We got guys that's battling no matter. Next man up, right? You can poke armor do all this stuff, but these guys are not budging. I'm not budging. We'll keep chopping wood. At some point the damn thing will break and go our way.
MODERATOR: Anymore questions?
ANTONIO PIERCE: Cool, thanks.
Q. I have one, Coach.
ANTONIO PIERCE: Oh, what you got, man? I was waiting on you. You had that bowtie on boy, look good, shit.
Q. All right, Coach. (Laughter) Okay. In the midst of this ten-game losing streak, you had a scenario where you could have won just like how Washington beat the Bears on a hail Mary like that, so how frustrating is it that you're not getting those type of breaks and that you're in the midst of this scenario?
ANTONIO PIERCE: Very, very disappointing. I'll use my last transcript and my last question, my last answer to answer that. It's disappointing, wish we could have a better result. We'll keep fighting, go back to work ready for it next week. Thank you, guys.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports