Las Vegas Raiders
“There’s really nobody to blame but… That’s….Aidan O’Connell Classy Response to Raiders’ Game-Ending Fumbled Snap vs. Chiefs
“There’s really nobody to blame but… That’s….Aidan O’Connell Classy Response to Raiders’ Game-Ending Fumbled Snap vs. Chiefs
Aidan O’Connell still has plenty to prove in his young NFL career, but he certainly looked the part of a franchise quarterback on Friday afternoon at Arrowhead Stadium.
And he sounded like one, too, after the Las Vegas Raiders suffered a heartbreaking 19–17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
O’Connell was on the verge of setting up a potential game-winning field-goal attempt for Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson when disaster struck. Las Vegas rookie Jackson Powers-Johnson, who shifted to center earlier this month, snapped the ball too early on a third-down play. The football glanced off O’Connell’s shoulder for a fumble and the Chiefs recovered it to secure their 11th win.
As any savvy veteran quarterback would do, O’Connell took full responsibility for the botched snap in his postgame press conference.
“It’s completely my fault,” O’Connell said. “I was looking out to the right making sure guys were set, and I started clapping. In my head, I was thinking signal the ball to get the ball, but when I start clapping, it basically tells Jackson to snap the ball.
“Jackson did exactly what he should’ve done. I clapped too early. That’s just how the football bounces sometimes; it didn’t go our way. Super tough, but there’s really nobody to blame but myself. That’s probably the hardest part to swallow.”
Powers-Johnson, for his part, also shouldered the blame after the game.
“We didn’t come up short,” Powers-Johnson said, according to Tashan Reed ofThe Athletic. “I came up short.”
The Raiders, now 2–10, are set to pick high in the 2025 NFL draft and could be looking to select a young quarterback talent in the first round. But O’Connell, who threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns on 23-of-35 passing against the Chiefs, put together a performance on and off the field Friday that showed flashes of his potential to lead a franchise.
Las Vegas Raiders
“I have a lot of confidence….Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell Sends Strong Message on Brock Bowers
“I have a lot of confidence….Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell Sends Strong Message on Brock Bowers
It’s been a long season for the Las Vegas Raiders but the one major silver lining has been rookie tight end Brock Bowers. The team was questioned for using a first-round pick on a tight end a year after they used a second-round pick on Michael Mayer but he has rewarded them all season.
Bowers is currently leading the NFL with 84 receptions and is fourth in receiving yards with 884. He has proven that he’s not only one of the best tight ends in the league already, but one of the best offensive weapons overall.
Quarterback Aidan O’Connell connected with Bowers 10 times during Friday’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and he’s been very impressed with the young tight end.
“He’s pretty special, obviously,” O’Connell said in his postgame press conference. “He makes incredible plays, play after play. Sometimes I throw it, and I can’t really see the result that’s going to happen, but I have a lot of confidence in him, as well as a lot of other guys.”
Throwing to Bowers has been a recipe for success for the Raiders offense so he’ll likely continue to be targeted early and often.
Antonio Pierce Praises O’Connell & Bowers
The Raiders’ offense has been stagnant for much of the season and while only scored 17 points against the Chiefs on Friday, the group could’ve scored a lot more if it weren’t for Daniel Carlson missing three field goals.
O’Connell was impressive as he threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns. Head coach Antonio Pierce praises O’Connell and Bowers for the work they did in Week 13.
“That’s a credit to both players just putting time in, even on a short week, working after practice and talking,” Pierce said during his Saturday press conference. “Aidan is a pretty good communicator. He’s done a really good job of that since he’s gotten back. And Brock just works. If you ask Brock to be here today on the day off, he’ll be out there playing pitch and catch.”
Bowers is the Raiders’ best weapon so he’s been getting the most attention from opposing defenses. Pierce thinks the fact that he’s still having success just shows how special he is.
“The last couple weeks, with Pat Surtain, and this week (Trent) McDuffie and the safeties. … (Teams are) not putting too many linebackers on him throughout the game,” Pierce said. “And now we’re seeing double-teams and them really shifting their zone to him. And to be honest, I don’t really think it matters, man. I think we got a really special player on our hands.”
Las Vegas Raiders
WATCH OUT: “I thought he commanded the offense and..” Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell did something
WATCH OUT: “I thought he commanded the offense and..”
Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell did something that no other quarterback has done against the Chiefs……….
The Las Vegas Raiders fell short in a heartbreaking loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell did something that no other quarterback has done against the Chiefs this season.
Las Vegas Raiders interim offensive coordinator Scott Turner showed what a quarterback can do when you let him loose. Even though the Raiders fell short in Week 13 to the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell had arguably the best game of his young career.
O’Connell did something in Week 13 that no quarterback has done this season.
O’Connell who was coming off a broken thumb injury, did not show signs of it being a problem. O’Connell played free and with confidence. He stood in the pocket and delivered on drives when the Raiders needed to score.
The Chiefs have one of the best defenses in the NFL and the Raiders offense went up and down the field against them. O’Connell became the first quarterback this season to throw 300 yards against the Chiefs.
The Chiefs have faced top quarterbacks Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, and Brock Purdy. But none accomplished what O’Connell did. O’Connell finished the game by completing 23 out of 35 passes, having 340 yards and two touchdowns.
“I thought he competed. I thought, for what we knew we were getting with Spags [Steve Spagnulol] and that defense,” said Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce. “He stood in the pocket, made some tough throws, took some hits, took the shots down the field like we wanted. We had some opportunities to take shots down the field, he threw them. And I thought our skills guys did a hell of a job, competing and making some making really big plays for us.”
“I just think getting Aidan out there and getting more and more reps, I do not even think he has 17 starts yet in his career. Coming back after you know five, six-week layoff and just you know being sharp throwing the ball mentally, I mean he was totally engaged and understood what we needed to do especially in the two-minute drive. I thought he did a really good job there. I thought he commanded the offense.
“It was really good to see him, break the pocket and scramble for a little bit … I just love the way our guys competed. I love the attitude, the accountability that everybody played with throughout the game and kept their chin up, you know in a tough loss.”
Las Vegas Raiders
“The Raiders may not see many more wins this season, if any at all” How the Raiders’ Offense is Undeniably Better Under New Coach
“The Raiders may not see many more wins this season, if any at all” How the Raiders’ Offense is Undeniably Better Under New Coach
The Las Vegas Raiders have struggled on offense for much of the last two seasons. However, they have looked the best they have in years under interim offensive coordinator Scott Turner.
The Las Vegas Raiders entered the season hoping their offense would take a step forward from being one of the worst in the National Football League last season. However, the opposite happened, as the Raiders’ offense seemed to have regressed through the first nine games of this season.
Even with a new offensive coordinator, new offensive scheme and many new offensive linemen, the Raiders offense was still arguably the worst in the league through the first half of the season. The Raiders fired Luke Getsy and named Scott Turner the interim offensive coordinator and the offense has looked significantly better.
While the Raiders have still yet to win a game since making the switch to Turner a few weeks ago, they have had a chance to win every game they have played under Turner. This in itself is a significant upgrade from Getsy, who seemed to be in over his head in Las Vegas.
The Raiders’ performance against the Kansas City Chiefs was arguably their best game of the season.
According to the Raiders’ Public Relations Department, “the Raiders finished with 434 total net yards of offense, including 318 net passing yards and 118 rushing yards. The Raiders’ 434 yards are the most in a single game this season and the most since Week 17 of 2022.
“The Raiders’ 318 net passing yards are also the most by the Raiders in a single game this season and the most since Week 17 of 2022. This was the fourth time in 2024 the Raiders rushed for more than 100 net yards.”
The Raiders may not see many more wins this season, if any at all. Las Vegas is a few weeks away from officially securing the top pick in the NFL Draft, which will change the future of the organization one way or the other.
There are many moving parts in the Raiders’ front office and it is anyone’s guess how Tom Brady becoming a minority owner will impact the team in the immediate. Still, the Raiders have shown they have the pieces to be successful, and that they are just a few more of the right pieces away from being competitive next season.
This season has not been pretty but with the play of second-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell and how the offense has looked since Turner took over, it may be worth the Raiders’ consideration to plug holes where needed instead of blowing everything up.
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