As the Las Vegas Raiders kicked off their preseason with a 24-23 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, the spotlight remained on the team’s quarterback competition between Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew.
Despite some intriguing performances, Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce kept expectations in check.
O’Connell started strong, orchestrating a 15-play, 83-yard drive that concluded with a field goal. Minshew, taking over in the second quarter, led the team on three scoring drives, including two touchdowns and a field goal.
Minshew ended the game with 117 yards and a touchdown on 6-of-12 passing, while O’Connell went 7-of-9 for 76 yards.
After the game, Pierce offered a subdued assessment of the ongoing competition. “I thought the quarterbacks responded well,” he said.
Throughout training camp, Pierce has tempered expectations about the team’s offensive potential.
In a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Pierce acknowledged the realistic outlook for the offense. “We’re probably not going to be, to be honest, a juggernaut offense,” he said. “Would I love to be? Yeah. To sit here and say we’re going to score 30 points a game, that’s not realistic.”
The game saw a slowdown in the Raiders’ offensive momentum in the second half. As they shifted focus to their running backs, a late-game field goal by the Vikings sealed the one-point win.
Third-string quarterback Anthony Brown struggled, completing only one pass and suffering three sacks.
Pierce might take a cue from Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, who recently moderated expectations for rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy following his strong debut. “Just another glorified, singular step in the process,” O’Connell said of McCarthy’s performance.
The Raiders’ offensive prospects are bolstered by a solid supporting cast, including star wide receiver Davante Adams, promising running back Zamir White, and an emerging tight-end duo of Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer.
O’Connell, a fourth-round pick in 2023, had notable performances last season, including a 248-yard, four-touchdown game against the Chargers.
Minshew, on the other hand, ended a strong 2023 season with 3,305 passing yards and 15 touchdowns for the Indianapolis Colts.
As the preseason continues, Pierce’s decision on the starting quarterback will hinge on further evaluations. The Raiders’ next preseason game is against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday, August 17.
Who do you think ends up winning the starting job???
