LAS VEGAS – Antonio Pierce rocked angrily on the podium for more than five minutes after the game as the Las Vegas Raiders coach searched for answers after his team’s stunning 36-22 loss to the Carolina Panthers.

Pierce was sure of one thing: his team did not show up for the first home game – and he brought in some unnamed players.

“As the game progressed,” Pierce said, “I think there were definitely some individuals who made business decisions. And we will continue to make business decisions in the future.”

“We got our asses kicked…I would have booed us too.”

Given what was at stake—a celebratory home game after last week’s emotional comeback win over the Baltimore Ravens, the previously winless Panthers who had benched former No. 1 draft pick Bryce Young in favor of 14th-year veteran quarterback Andy Dalton, and the Raiders’ offense seemingly keeping pace with the team’s opportunistic defense—this loss was comparable to several embarrassing defeats in recent memory for longtime observers:

From losing to the Indianapolis Colts and former high school coach Jeff Saturday in 2022 in his first NFL game as a coach – the fallout from which left then-Raiders QB Derek Carr crying at the podium – to losing to Baker Mayfield two days after he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams later that same season, to losing last season to the Chicago Bears, who started undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent at quarterback.

The difference? These Raiders were completely dominated by Dalton and the Panthers.

“We have a lot of guys that need to look in the mirror,” said Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, who was hampered by a sprained left ankle sustained on the penultimate play of the Raiders’ win in Baltimore and had three tackles and a pass defensed on Sunday.

“Everyone has to keep getting better. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s a wake-up call, you know what I mean? We have to get better. Period. It’s that simple.”

The Raiders allowed a total of 437 yards to Dalton & Co., who also dominated the time of possession from 36:02 to 23:58. On offense, only 55 of Las Vegas’ 331 offensive yards were achieved on the ground. And the Raiders were trailing by as much as 33:7 at the start of the fourth quarter.

Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams seemed confused by Pierce’s claim that players were making “business decisions” toward the end of the game.

“I feel like, I don’t know, it’s hard for me to recognize that,” said Adams, who had four catches on nine attempts for 40 yards. “I’m not sure.”

Crosby gave his opinion.

“I don’t know. There’s a lot of things. You have to watch the film,” he said. “It just wasn’t good enough. Just a bad loss. I mean, sucked. We didn’t play our best football.”

Pierce, meanwhile, said there should be no lesson to be learned from the fact that he replaced starting quarterback Gardner Minshew with Aidan O’Connell with 4:47 left in the game when Las Vegas was trailing 36-15.

“The game was kind of out of control and we had two quarterbacks arguing,” Pierce said, referring to the training camp contest that Minshew ultimately won. “Let the other guy go in there and see what he can do for a while.”

O’Connell led the Raiders on a 13-play, 70-yard touchdown drive, completing 9 of 12 passes for 82 yards, including an 8-yard touchdown to Tre Tucker, while another pass was nearly intercepted.

Minshew, meanwhile, threw for 214 yards and completed 18 of 28 attempts, including a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jakobi Meyers and an interception.

“It’s obviously rubbish, especially at home,” said O’Connell. “You wanted to take another step forward and hopefully win here, but we’ll bounce back. The good thing about football is there’s always the game next week.”