Based on reports from training camp, the Raiders quarterback competition didn’t get off to a great start in Costa Mesa, California.
Practicing in a new offense against a projected top 10 defense simply wasn’t a great situation for either quarterback to thrive.
The first preseason game didn’t do a lot to separate Minshew and O’Connell, but that was because both quarterbacks actually played well against the Vikings. The consensus seems to be that the job is still up for grabs, but there isn’t quite a consensus on which quarterback has the edge at the moment.
Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter called the competition “dead even” from his perspective but added that Minshew might have a “slight edge” after taking advantage of a few more opportunities on Saturday.
Vinny Bonsignore covers the Raiders for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and he said on Monday that Minshew probably has a slim lead, but if he does, the lead isn’t by much.
“Did anybody distinguish themselves [in Minnesota]? I guess maybe Gardner has a little bit of an edge,” Bonsignore said on Raider Nation Radio’s Morning Tailgate. “He did show… the ability to [run] for a first down. He manufactured some throws downfield where he kind of used his legs in the pocket. I also thought Aidan stepped up in the pocket and used his feet pretty well…”
Another beat writer to chime in on the Raiders quarterback competition was The Athletic‘s Tashan Reed, who placed O’Connell at the top of the Raiders depth chart while adding that Minshew will have “every opportunity” to earn the job between now and September 8.
“O’Connell got the start against the Vikings and performed well, completing 7 of 9 passes for 76 yards on a drive that ended in a field goal,” Reed wrote in his latest roster projection. “Not to be outdone, Minshew flashed in the second quarter and led the offense to three scoring drives. His accuracy was spotty — he completed only 6 of 12 passes — but he created more explosive plays, gained 117 yards through the air and threw one touchdown. Minshew will have every opportunity to steal the job from O’Connell before Week 1 of the regular season.”
Reed’s colleague at The Athletic, Vic Tafur, made an appearance on Raider Nation Radio’s JT the Brick Show, and he thinks the quarterback competition will largely come down to throwing accuracy, which is something that both quarterbacks were said to have struggled with in training camp.
“For me it will come down to accuracy,” Tafur said. “We have a month left, so if Aidan has a good month where he’s more accurate and gets more comfortable then maybe he can hold off Gardner. But if not, if you can’t be more accurate than Gardner, and clearly so, then the edge goes to Gardner because of the other things. He can make plays, his experience, and that kind of stuff. I think it’s kind of on Aidan right now to take another step in the next month.”
O’Connell and Minshew were both accurate against the Vikings, but it’s worth noting that the Vikings played a lot of backups on defense and didn’t bring a complicated gameplan. To that point, though, there have been a lot of quarterbacks around the league struggling against second and third string defenses in the preseason.
And last but not least, the fans are voting, and they haven’t been any more decisive than the ones paid to cover the team.
It seems like Minshew has been slightly better than O’Connell to this point in the Raiders quarterback competition, but it’s no secret that Antonio Pierce entered this season with a lot of confidence in O’Connell. For that reason, Minshew might need to separate himself a little more if he’s going to win the job.
Pierce said on Sunday that he hopes to have the quarterback competition settled after the second preseason game, but he has the option to drag out the process as long as he wants. If one of the quarterbacks stands out on Saturday, maybe the decision will get a little easier.
x: @raidersbeat
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