The Las Vegas Raiders can’t be too thrilled with what they saw from Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew in their preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys. The latter went 10-of-21 for 95 yards and no touchdowns.
O’Connell was a bit better as he went 14-of-20 for 96 yards and a touchdown. However, he threw a pick-six against the Cowboys’ third-string defense in the third quarter. Both played against backups while the Raiders played most of their starters. Head coach Antonio Pierce was hoping to get a definitive answer on who his starting quarterback will be after the game but he walked away disappointed.
“Everybody wants to see a player just take it and say, ‘Hey, I’m your guy.’ Well, obviously, that’s probably not the case,” Pierce said in his August 17 postgame press conference. “We’re going to have to make a decision and we’re going to live with it and we’re going to support whoever that quarterback is for the Raiders going forward.”
Neither quarterback has done enough this offseason to be the unquestioned starter for the entire season. Both struggled in training camp and have put up similar numbers in the preseason. It’s not entirely clear who the Raiders will favor in the end.
Antonio Pierce Talks Decision Timeline
Pierce had previously said he would name a starter following the Cowboys game. That may be difficult to do considering how similar their performances were. According to Pierce, he needs to speak with general manager Tom Telesco and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy before he announces a decision.
“It’s going to be everything,” Pierce said of what will go into his decision. “Command of the offense, the operational part, efficiency. The turnovers are huge, right? Taking care of the football is going to be important for our team. And then I think it’s just sitting there with Telesco and Luke over a couple of days and really pinpointing who’s going to get us off to a fast start and get us to where we want to be in that first quarter of the season.”
O’Connell may have had the job secured prior to the pick-six he threw to the Cowboys. Pierce wants a quarterback to take care of the ball and that mistake may prove costly.
Aidan O’Connell & Gardner Minshew Talk Rough Game
O’Connell started off strong when he relieved Minshew in the second quarter. He led the team to a field goal on his first drive and then had a touchdown pass in the third quarter. Things went downhill from there and O’Connell wasn’t happy with his performance.
“I just stared it down,” O’Connell said in his August 17 postgame media availability. “(My performance) was up and down. … I missed some throws and missed some reads, too. And then, obviously, the pick-six kind of lingers in your mind.”
Minshew knows that the quarterback battle is close and he didn’t play his best football against Dallas.
“It’s been neck and neck all the way,” Minshew said Saturday. “I had some missed throws and missed reads. We shot ourselves in the foot all night.”
Pierce’s decision has only become more difficult but it’s seeming like both quarterbacks will start games during the regular season unless one of them can be more consistent.
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Raiders’ Antonio Pierce Calls out Gardner Minshew & Aidan O’Connell