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

Pierce knew one thing for sure: his team wasn’t showing up for the season opener, and he had fielded some unknown players.

“As the game went on,” Pierce said, “I think there were definitely some individuals who made business decisions. And we’ll be making business decisions going forward.

“We got a beating… I would have booed us too.”

Considering what was on the table — a celebratory home opener following last week’s emotional comeback win over the Baltimore Ravens, the Panthers having yet to win a game and benching former No. 1 draft pick Bryce Young in favor of 14th-year veteran quarterback Andy Dalton, and the fact that the Raiders’ offense appeared to be catching up to the team’s opportunistic defense — this loss, to loyal observers, was on par with several embarrassing defeats in recent memory:

From the loss to the Indianapolis Colts and former high school coach Jeff Saturday in 2022 in his first NFL game in charge — the aftermath of which left then-Raiders QB Derek Carr crying on the podium — to the loss to Baker Mayfield two days after joining the Los Angeles Rams later that same season to last season’s loss to the Chicago Bears, who started undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent at quarterback.

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

“There’s a lot of people that need to look in the mirror,” said Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, who was severely hampered by a left ankle sprain he suffered on the penultimate play of the Raiders’ win over Baltimore and finished Sunday with three tackles and a deflected pass.

“Everybody has to keep improving. 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 gave up 437 total yards to Dalton & Co., who also dominated the time of possession from 36:02 to 23:58. Offensively, only 55 of Las Vegas’ 331 offensive yards came on the ground. And the Raiders trailed by as much as 33-7 early in the fourth quarter.

Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams appeared baffled by Pierce’s claim that players made “business decisions” late in the game.

“I feel like I don’t know, it’s hard for me to identify that,” said Adams, who had four catches on nine targets 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. “Just wasn’t good enough. Just a bad loss. I mean, shit. We didn’t play our best football.”

Pierce said there wasn’t much to be learned from the fact that with 4:47 left in the game and trailing 36-15, he replaced starting quarterback Gardner Minshew with Aidan O’Connell.

“The game got a little out of hand and we’ve got two quarterbacks that were struggling,” Pierce said of the training camp competition, which Minshew ultimately won. “Let the other guy go in there and see what he can do.”

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 TD to Tre Tucker, while another pass was nearly intercepted.

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

“It sucks, of course, especially at home,” O’Connell said. “You wanted to take a step forward and hopefully win here, but we’re going to bounce back. The good thing about football is there’s always next week’s game.”