So, what modified to immediate Pierce to determine that it’s time?
“We’ve acquired to get able to play soccer, and I feel we’ve acquired sufficient movie,” Pierce advised the media following the workforce’s first preseason contest. “We’ll have two video games right here (by that time) to guage each quarterbacks to see how they’ll play.”
It’s at the moment a two-man race between veteran Gardner Minshew and second-year passer Aidan O’Connell. O’Connell began 10 video games (together with the final 9 video games of the season) for Las Vegas final yr as a fourth-round rookie out of Purdue. Taking on for a benched Jimmy Garoppolo, he went 5-5 in these begins, finishing 62.1 p.c of his passes with 12 touchdowns to seven interceptions.
Minshew’s profession as a starter has been a rollercoaster. Drafted out of Washington State as a backup for Nick Foles in Jacksonville, Minshew was instantly pushed into motion when Foles suffered an damage that will preserve him out for a lot of the season. Minshew turned an in a single day sensation that season, going 6-6 in 12 begins and throwing 21 touchdowns to solely six interceptions. He entered the next season because the starter, however accidents and a 1-7 document pushed him out of the position.
Minshew was traded to the Eagles, the place he began 4 video games over the subsequent two years as a backup to Jalen Hurts. His rookie contract expired, and Minshew signed with the Colts, hoping to win an open beginning job post-Matt Ryan. Indianapolis ended up drafting Anthony Richardson fourth general within the first spherical, however Richardson acquired harm, ultimately lacking the ultimate 12 video games of the season. Minshew took over because the Colts’ starter, and returned to his standard self, excelling as a shock starter. In 13 begins, Minshew went 7-6 final yr.
O’Connell began the Raiders’ first preseason sport, enjoying one quarter of soccer. He went seven of 9 for 76 yards as he led the workforce on an 83-yard area purpose drive to open the scoring for Las Vegas. Minshew took over within the second quarter, enjoying 4 sequence. He accomplished six of 12 go makes an attempt for 117 yards and a landing.
The Raiders have been seen as a workforce that might have drafted a quarterback within the first spherical again in April, one that might have competed with these two unlikely beginning candidates, however they as a substitute opted to pick the draft’s high tight finish prospect in Georgia’s Brock Bowers. In a current interview on Scoop Metropolis, Raiders normal supervisor Tom Telesco detailed that the workforce didn’t “go” on a quarterback, he simply believes the draft didn’t shake out in a approach that allowed them to take a passer. There have been six quarterbacks taken earlier than their choice, and the subsequent passer wasn’t chosen till the fifth spherical. If one thing fell to them, the Raiders may need had one other competitor for this job. Because it performed out, although, they as a substitute acquired a brand new weapon for the opponents they’ve now.
These opponents will now have every week to show their mettle. Per week of practices and a preseason sport towards the Cowboys is all they’ve now to show they deserve the beginning job. We’ll preserve an in depth eye on any developments within the coming week.
