Raiders studs & duds from Week 4: Alexander Mattison has breakout game

Dud – Gardner Minshew

We said last week that on paper Gardner Minshew has looked like a solid quarterback but the eye test told another story. His stats through the first three weeks were solid but this week the eye test and stats tell a very ugly story.

To be fair this was against a solid defense with a couple of monsters on the defensive line, but this was easily Minshew’s worst game of the season. He finished the day 14 for 24 for just 130 yards and two yards rushing. The eye test also showed Minshew missing some wide open receivers and he is not using his mobility very well either.

One supposed advantage that Minshew brings to the table over O'Connell was his ability to make the defense pay with his legs, but we have yet to see that. Instead, we're seeing a guy who is holding the ball for far too long and doesn't seem confident in this offense.

Despite the wind, we feel that the Raiders should make a change at quarterback and insert O'Connell who had a solid day against the Broncos at the end of last season. We stand by the opinion that Minshew is a great backup and game-changer in back situations, but he has not shown the ability to consistently operate this offense.