Pierce, Raiders proceed to 'consider' QB change

HENDERSON, Nev. — Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce wouldn’t rule out making a quarterback change from Gardner Minshew to Aidan O’Connell after O’Connell’s late-game landing drive within the Raiders’ blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers.

“We have got to get with the gamers and simply consider every part first,” Pierce stated Monday in his weekly media convention, which was delayed greater than an hour attributable to further conferences together with his teaching workers within the wake of the 36-22 home-opening loss dropping the Raiders to 1-2.

And Pierce, a day after saying sure gamers made “enterprise selections” throughout the sport, didn’t again off from his postgame remark.

Slightly, he stated: “I do not chew my tongue.”

The Raiders, who host the Cleveland Browns (1-2) on Sunday, had but to make any “enterprise selections” of their very own, Pierce stated.

“You are going to have instances the place typically your greatest gamers haven’t got their greatest days and different guys received to step up and that is why it is known as group soccer,” Pierce stated. “Extra importantly, I feel all of us want to simply perceive you have to roll, you want to do it one of the best you are able to do it at full velocity.

“The trouble wasn’t as much as par because it had been within the earlier video games, and that confirmed up. That did not look good on the finish of the sport.”

O’Connell, nonetheless, carried out effectively in aid of Minshew, who received a coaching camp battle with the second-year professional.

With the Raiders trailing 36-15, O’Connell took over with 4:47 to play and led Las Vegas on a 70-yard, 13-play drive. Although he was nearly intercepted, he accomplished 9 of 12 passes for 82 yards, together with an 8-yard TD to Tre Tucker.

O’Connell stated afterward that he was undecided what his insertion into the sport meant going ahead.

“I need to execute any time my quantity’s known as and, clearly, the sport is loads totally different after I’m on the market, versus [playing] the whole sport, and so it is a totally different state of affairs,” O’Connell stated. “We hope to be successful and never coming from behind, however I am undoubtedly grateful for the chance … as a group as an entire, we have got loads to get higher — myself included.”

Minshew, in the meantime, handed for 214 yards in finishing 18 of 28 makes an attempt with a landing and an interception.

On the season, Minshew has accomplished 73.7% of his passes (which ranks fourth within the NFL amongst passers with at the least 50 makes an attempt) for 747 yards (sixth within the league) with three TDs and three interceptions.

“AP was speaking about it within the locker room, not using the curler coaster, not following the ups and downs, however proceed to attempt to get higher,” Minshew stated after the sport. “And if we do this — we have got the fitting folks to do it — we’ll be all proper.”

In the meantime, security Marcus Epps suffered a torn ACL, per NFL Community.