Las Vegas Raiders punter AJ Cole. Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

Watch: Raiders fool Broncos with fake punt

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Nov 24, 2024 5:15 PM ET

Beleaguered Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce deserves credit for drawing up a tricky fake punt in Sunday's home game against the Denver Broncos.

On a 4th-and-4 at Vegas' 36-yard line, Raiders punter AJ Cole III rolled out to his right, throwing the ball to a wide-open Divine Deablo. The linebacker gained 34 yards on the catch-and-run.

FAKE PUNT @Raiders convert!

: #DENvsLV on CBS/Paramount+
: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/KezuoMgTkd
— NFL (@NFL) November 24, 2024

Subsequently, the Raiders capitalized on the successful fake punt. Vegas kicker Daniel Carlson made a 34-yard field goal with 3:48 left in the second quarter, giving the Raiders a 10-6 lead.

At the beginning of the season, there was some hope for Pierce and Co. After the Raiders fired former HC Josh McDaniels in 2023, Pierce went 5-4 as an interim, which helped him land the full-time gig.

But the Raiders (2-8) have failed to meet expectations. They've lost six straight games and are last in the AFC West.

During a recent episode of the "Just Win: A Podcast Covering the Las Vegas Raiders," The Athletic's Tashan Reed said he believes Pierce has a "50 percent chance" of keeping his job.

Pierce clearly needs the Raiders to show signs of improvement for the rest of the season, or he could be a one-and-done.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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