The Raiders quarterback competition is finally over, and it was a shock to many when Antonio Pierce named Gardner Minshew the starting quarterback on Sunday.
Just about every outlet covering the team felt like Aidan O’Connell was probably going to get the nod, but for reasons Pierce discussed on Sunday and probably a few that he didn’t, the Raiders are going with their veteran at quarterback.
It’s hard to call the decision a “controversy” because Minshew and O’Connell both have their faults, but you can be certain the quarterback conversations around the Raiders won’t go away until they are winning again.
Until then, let’s look a few reasons to feel good about Minshew in his new role with the team…
Minshew can make the offense more explosive.
It has been a close competition between Minshew and O’Connell, but they couldn’t be farther apart in terms of their skill sets.
O’Connell is a game manager who doesn’t often leave the pocket, while Minshew is a more unpredictable and has a better ability to make plays with his legs.
Minshew is the quarterback more likely to drop 30+ points in a game, and after Saturday’s defensive effort against the Cowboys, maybe Antonio Pierce isn’t quite as confident in his defense. It’s a talented defensive group, but they aren’t the ‘85 Bears.
Also, Minshew stretched the field better than O’Connell in the preseason. That’s an important detail if the Raiders want to lean on their running game.
Minshew looked rough against the Cowboys, but if he had been named the starter after the Vikings game, there wouldn’t have been many complaints.
Minshew protects the ball better than he’s often given credit.
One of the talking points around Minshew has been that his sometimes erratic play leads to more turnovers. That might be the case in the future, but turnovers haven’t been an issue for Minshew in his five NFL seasons.
He has played in 49 NFL games (starting in 37 games) and has only 24 career interceptions.
In terms of numbers, Minshew actually compares favorably to Trevor Lawrence, who signed a $275 million contract extension with the Jaguars in June.
Minshew brings experience to the most important position on the field.
There’s no substitute for experience and Minshew has proven that he can handle tough situations.
The Raiders open the season with road games against the Chargers and Ravens, and both teams are expected to be very good on defense.
Gardner won’t be overwhelmed by anything thrown at him in the first two weeks of the season, and if the Raiders don’t play well in those games, he can handle the difficult questions.
O’Connell is entering his second NFL season and QB2 is the most popular quarterback on every team that doesn’t have an elite quarterback on the roster. Maybe that will be a good thing for him.
The Raiders have a history of success with castaway quarterbacks.
Minshew might not be a “castaway” but no team has gone all-in on him as a starting quarterback.
The Raiders have been to three Super Bowls with veteran quarterbacks that couldn’t stick with other organizations. Jim Plunkett won two Super Bowls (how is he not in the HOF?) after the Patriots and 49ers gave up on him.
Rich Gannon played 11 seasons with the Vikings, Redskins, and Chiefs before joining the Raiders and being named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 2002.
It happens every year that a quarterback’s career resurrects in the NFL. Maybe Minshew will be the guy this year?
As a wise man once said… false hope is better than no hope.
x: @raidersbeat
Minshew named starting quarterback. “A kiss for luck and we’re on our way. We’ve only just begun.”
Good point, I’ve been saying to nay-sayers for awhile to remember Rich Gannon when thinking of Minshew. A backup mostly for his career and ended up being one of the most accurate in his time with us. Plunket was the same but as a former Heisman winner and 1st player drafted was a well known name. He just didn’t have a line in New England and got beat up so bad he lost confidence and when we got him he didn’t have to start. We just sat him and let him regain that confidence and the rest is history.