DENVER, CO – OCTOBER 06: Gardner Minshew #15 of the Las Vegas Raiders warms up before kickoff against the Denver Broncos during an NFL football game at Empower Field at Mile High on October 6, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Antonio Pierce had seen enough.
The Las Vegas Raiders coach benched starting quarterback Gardner Minshew on Sunday in favor of backup Aidan O’Connell. Pierce made the switch late in the third quarter as the Broncos held a 20-10 lead.
Minshew had thrown his second interception of the game on the previous Las Vegas drive. He went to the bench having completed 12 of 17 passes for 137 yards with a touchdown and the two interceptions.
The quarterback change is the latest bit of drama in a Raiders season filled with it. Pierce made the move two weeks after criticizing Raiders players for making “business decisions” in a blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers. The Raiders then entered Sunday’s game amid reports that a trade of three-time All-Pro receiver Davante Adams was inevitable.
The Raiders bounced back from Week 3’s loss to the Panthers with a win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 4 to improve to 2-2. But they struggled early on Sunday against a Broncos led by rookie quarterback Bo Nix.
Minshew’s first interception of the day resulted in a likely two-score swing in favor of the Broncos. With the Raiders facing first and goal while holding a 10-3 lead, Minshew targeted rookie tight end Brock Bowers in the end zone on a play-action pass. Instead, he found Broncos safety Patrick Surtain II, who picked off the pass and returned it for a Broncos touchdown.
Instead of holding a two-score lead, the Raiders found themselves in a 10-10 tie early in the second quarter.
The Raiders found themselves playing from behind in the second half. As Denver held a 20-10 lead late in the third quarter, Minshew looked deep downfield for wide receiver Tre Tucker. Cornerback Riley Moss had tight coverage down the sideline and intercepted the…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/antonio-pierce-benches-struggling-raiders-qb-gardner-minshew-for-aidan-oconnell-vs-broncos-223103713.html
Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2024-10-06 22:31:03
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
