Why NY Giants must embrace unknown with franchise great Antonio Pierce now Raiders coach

EAST RUTHERFORD - The New York Giants might not have won Super Bowl XLII without Antonio Pierce's presence, and that victory stands as one of the most significant in NFL history.

Now the Giants must embrace the challenge of the unknown, and of a different sort, when they cross paths again with Pierce, who remains a franchise legend, but also has a new role: he's taken over as the interim head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.

And, of course, as football fate would have it, Pierce's first game will come Sunday afternoon with the Giants visiting Allegiant Stadium to meet his Raiders in Las Vegas.

The Raiders stunned the league at 1 a.m. EST Tuesday when owner Mark Davis announced he had fired head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler, installing Pierce as head coach soon after those surprising exits. It's not that McDaniels and Ziegler were setting the AFC West on fire with success, because they have struggled and players seemingly had begun to question leadership in games, especially on the offense.

But it's the timing of their departures that brings a surprise element to the situation, and for the Giants, preparing for an opponent that appears to be in disarray can, believe it or not, be somewhat challenging.

"You’re always going to try and prepare the best you can," Giants coach Brian Daboll said. "But again, it’s three days here and I can’t say what they are going to do or not do."

Yes, the Raiders just fired their head coach, and in McDaniels, someone who apparently rankled his players with his approach and philosophy. The defense led by former Giants defensive coordinator Patrick Graham was run up and down the field by the Lions on "Monday Night Football" in Detroit.

And the offense, with OC Mick Lombardi also fired, is expected to start rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell.

So while the Giants should get Daniel Jones back at quarterback and left tackle Andrew Thomas could return against the Raiders as well, there is an element of mystery regarding the team they are about to face.

This is Pierce's second stint as head coach at any level. He coached high school football for four years at Long Beach Poly, where Daboll recalls meeting with Pierce in his office on a recruiting trip for Alabama. The prospect: quarterback Matt Corral.

An emotional boost with Pierce now leading the charge is anticipated, and what the offense may look like now that McDaniels and Lombardi are gone, well that's anyone's guess. The Raiders are promoting quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree to offensive coordinator, so you can bet Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale have already started digging for any clues as to what they'll need to stop Sunday.

You'd expect that will begin with Las Vegas' two offensive stars, running back Josh Jacobs and wide receiver Devante Adams, whose frustration with the goings-on with the Raiders and their now former regime bubbled over on the sideline in front of a national television audience Monday.

On the Raiders promoting Pierce, former Giants great Osi Umenyiora wrote on social media Tuesday morning: "Great decision. A real leader and the smartest player I ever played with. He will be successful."

Pierce actually spent most of the 2017 offseason season with the Giants as a coaching intern on then-defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's staff. He was an intense and vocal leader of a team that thrived as underdogs, then found a way to exploit and defeat the perfect Patriots of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick on the biggest stage.

"Antonio has experienced it; he is in the middle of it," Spagnuolo said of Pierce back then. "He used to do it when he played – he sees things that other people miss because he is a detailed guy."

Daboll has made sure his team embraces those players that came before them, laying the foundation for what the Giants represent. Pierce was a big part of that culture on a team that will forever be remembered as one of the best the organization has ever fielded.

But when it comes to Sunday's game, the past is the past. The Giants, who still believe in what many would consider faint hopes to get back in the playoff race and salvage the season, need to focus on winning a football game.

Doesn't matter if the man suddenly in position to coach the Raiders against them is, as Wellington Mara famously said with pride, "Once a Giant, Always a Giant."

"I’d say we need to know about their team," Daboll said. "Got a lot of respect for AP, again, I remember meeting with him down in his office, talking about Matt out in Cali and obviously know what he did here. I’ve built a friendship with him along the way the last few years, but again our focus has got to be on the field, players and schemes, and do the best job we can."

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Antonio Pierce: Former NY Giants great is new Las Vegas Raiders coach