Raiders seeing a ton of progress from Aidan O'Connell
Coming into the season, we knew that the Las Vegas Raiders would have to play rookie Aidan O'Connell at some point. Mainly because we all knew Jimmy Garoppolo would get hurt at some point. However, I don't know how many people predicted that Jimmy Garoppolo would get benched for O'Connell.The rookie has looked fine at […]
Coming into the season, we knew that the Las Vegas Raiders would have to play rookie Aidan O'Connell at some point. Mainly because we all knew Jimmy Garoppolo would get hurt at some point. However, I don't know how many people predicted that Jimmy Garoppolo would get benched for O'Connell.
The rookie has looked fine at times. He has had a game like the one he had against the Miami Dolphins, where he was definitely rattled, as he threw several interceptions in double coverage, and so on. And he has had games like this last week against the Kansas City Chiefs, where he was the best quarterback on the field in terms of rating.
Against an elite Chiefs defense, he played great. He hit receivers downfield, threw into tight windows, completed those passes, and even took the easy stuff the Chiefs were giving him. You couldn't have asked for a better game out of a rookie QB who was drafted in the fourth round. Now, it's the bye week, and everyone knows what they need to work on.
And he is only getting better, which is exactly what the Raiders want to see.
"Much calmer, more poise on the sideline," Pierce said to reporters. "He doesn't look rattled, doesn't look kind of wide-eyed a little bit. I do think the game is slowing down. I don't think it's there yet for him. But I do see a guy that's progressing as far as his mental capacity and what we're able to do.
"He took care of the football, the o-line did a great job, he didn't get hit until late in the fourth quarter, he didn't get sacked until the second to last play, and he understood how to get rid of the ball. I think he has a good command of our offense, getting us in and out of the huddle."
Now, we really don't know if the Raiders believe that O'Connell can be a franchise guy. he hasn't really shown it yet. However, he does have five more games to prove that he can. But I'm sure this bye week was huge for him.
He has just over 1,000 passing yards, four touchdowns, and six interceptions. Those numbers aren't great, but he's showing improvement, and that's what matters most.
Davante Adams gives his opinion on Raiders’ rookie QB Aidan O’Connell in his first game
The Raiders had their rookie quarterback make his first ever start.
