Just before Week 6 of the NFL season, the Las Vegas Raiders had given Aidan O’Connell responsibility for the offense and made the quarterback the starter. Now, out of necessity, there is a backward roll because O’Connell injured his throwing hand in the loss to the Rams.
As several NFL insiders unanimously report, the quarterback’s injury is a broken thumb. O’Connell threw a deep pass on the Raiders’ second offensive drive and was hit by safety Kamren Curl during his throw. The ball landed in nowhere, and there was even a penalty for intentional grounding.
O’Connell stayed on the pitch for one more play, but when he passed to DJ Turner he realized that there was no point in continuing to play. “I threw the ball and it didn’t feel good,” he said. “I tried to endure it, but yeah, it doesn’t feel good,” says O’Connell, describing the situation.
Gardner Minshew then took over the role of playmaker for him and had a used day. In the end, Minshew was the main culprit in his team’s 15-20 loss with three interceptions and a fumble that led to a touchdown.
NFL: No Minshew Mania in Sin City
Minshew came before the season from Indianapolis, where he was thrown into the deep end as a backup last year and was able to promote himself. He couldn’t keep the promise he made with a good season in the city of sin.
Although he won the quarterback duel in the offseason and secured the starting spot over Aidan O’Connell, his performance left a lot to be desired.
Including the three interceptions against the Rams, he now has eight to his name. In comparison, there are only four touchdowns of their own. It didn’t help that he led the Raiders to a surprising win against the Ravens, among other things.
He paid for his poor performance with a place on the bench in week six. Now, however, he will be needed again as O’Connell will certainly be out for a few weeks.
Source: www.sport.de
