Aidan O'Connell addresses taking over Raiders starting QB job

Things have not been going right for the Las Vegas Raiders offense all season and much of that has been due to poor quarterback play. Each week, it was becoming clearer and clearer that Gardner Minshew should not be starting.

After a disastrous Week 5 loss to the Denver Broncos, which was due in large part to a Minshew pick-six at the one-yard line, the Raiders decided to make the switch to Aidan O'Connell. The two quarterbacks battled closely throughout training camp and preseason with Minshew narrowly getting the edge.

However, it was so close that many assumed that O'Connell would start if Minshew struggled. That's exactly what happened. While O'Connell is excited to start, he knows that he needs to play well or he'll be back on the bench again.

"I definitely know that the job is fluid, and so I'm just trying to do my best, really every day," O'Connell said. "Today, I'm focusing on today and not really thinking about any days in the future. I've got to work on what we're working on today, try to get better and take each day that way. And it's hard to do. Your brain wants to go backwards and wants to go forwards, but I think just focusing on the task at hand is the best thing I can do."

O'Connell can't play much worse than Minshew, who is ranked 27th in QBR this season. He does have some weapons to work with. He already had a great rapport with Jakobi Meyers from last season and rookie tight end Brock Bowers looks unguardable.

If the offensive line can just give him a clean pocket the majority of the time, he should be a net positive for the offense. However, the offensive line is injured and playing poorly. O'Connell may need to get the ball out very quickly as he certainly isn't going to take off and run with the ball much.