UPDATE: Antonio Pierce has named Gardner Minshew the Raiders starting quarterback.
More to come on the decision that was a surprise to more than a few.
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The Raiders quarterback competition probably came to end on Saturday night.
It has been a long time coming, but it looked like there was enough separation this week between Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew to finally make a decision.
From a statistical standpoint, Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew were close in the first half, but Minshew threw a few more passes that could have ended badly. If anything, O’Connell’s numbers in the first half would have been better if his timing with Kristian Wilkerson hadn’t been off on a downfield curl route.
Going into halftime, it looked like O’Connell might squeak by with a slightly better night, but head coach Antonio Pierce put him back on the field in the third quarter… and that’s where things got interesting.
O’Connell led the Raiders on a 13-play, 57-yard touchdown drive to open the second half, and followed that up with a 7-play, 31-yard drive that was looking good until an ugly interception was returned by the Cowboys for a touchdown.
The interception was bad, but when the coaching staff reviews the film next week, O’Connell’s pick-six will stand out as his only ill-advised throw on the night.
Minshew threw what should have been an easy interception in the first half and from the standpoint of evaluating his performance, the coaching staff will view that throw as a mistake as big as O’Connell’s interception.
Outside of those two throws, O’Connell played much better than Minshew on Saturday and that should be enough for Pierce to name him the starter.
It’s no secret that the coaching staff has been leaning toward starting O’Connell, and they have seen enough now from their second-year quarterback to make the call.
No need to drag out the competition any longer. It wasn’t a pretty process, but the time has come to name O’Connell the starter.
x: @raidersbeat
I agree. O’Connell looked better. I cannot believe the Raiders haven’t learned from past seasons that everyone needs to play in the preseason. Teams all over the league played starters, at least some time. The Chiefs played Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, we should be playing everyone. Everyone needs gametime practice.
Here we go again another experiment
From what I see the raiders are not improved this year. 8-9 maybe.
O Connells a bust ,8 -8 season or worse. Same ol stuff like last year
I don’t care who you put at quarterback, it looks like another year of Terrible ply calling!
Should have been ” J Fields ” maybe Dak anybody
I’d take Dak right now.
I’d pass on Fields.
Minshew looked like dog ****, his passes lacked zit and threw everything short. At least OConnell has a good arm.
O’Connell is the better choice!
There needs to be an emergency meeting asap, Davis,Pierce,Telesco,Getsy. This s,,‘‘tis is not going to work period. You have a mop boy 2nd string qb in Menshew. Sorry but I would have never ever drafted Oconell. He can’t throw deep he’s not mobile. Look who freaking drafted him Loser mcdaniels/mcstupid ah yes another fine Irish boy. Go and get Hooker or Lance asap before you are 0/8 and getting fired. Wake up Telesco we need a freaking QB not a linebacker. Please help AP he needs a QB. If Lance or hooker don’t work out you can trade up in the draft or free agency. FYI I think Devonte Adams is so gone to the jets. Not playing because of an undisclosed injury…huh???? Please help Pierce.
Raider nation will regret this move of starting AOC you have to go with Minshew at this point let Minshew get all reps for the 9er game, if by then you are not convinced 100% then you go with AOC
AP looks really down, can you blame him? The team is so much better all around offensively and defensively. Let’s get him a qb. I know there is not a lot out there. I don’t want to trade for a hobbled Humpty Dumpty qb like cousins. He’s a train wreck. Nor Heineken. Get another young buck like Hooker or Lance. Mobility and deep throws. They are not expensive and just maybe. Please help coach AP
Pierce said Aidan will be a starter in this league but he didn’t say it will be with the Raiders. There’s more than competition going on in this decision. I think Telesco was pissed at Aidan for destroying the Chargers last year. I don’t like this decision but hey, why not play both these guys.
Well this article didn’t age well. I love the coment, “It’s no secret that the coaching staff has been leaning toward starting O’Connell.” One more example of how reporters really don’t have any secret insight on what’s going on inside the doors of an organization.