If you watched the Las Vegas Raiders' preseason matchup against the Dallas Cowboys with no knowledge about what's happening this offseason, you probably would've assumed the team was playing all backups. Sadly, that wasn't the case. The team played their starters while the Cowboys played their reserves and got totally outclassed.
Gardner Minshew was terrible as he completed 10-of-21 passes and missed easy throws all night. However, Aidan O'Connell wasn't much better as he threw a terrible pick-six in the third quarter. The two are in the middle of a battle for the starting quarterback job but you'd never know it based on how they competed.
However, head coach Antonio Pierce said he was going to make a decision and he stuck to his word. Pierce announced on Sunday that Minshew is getting the starting nod for now.
"A lot of things went into it," Pierce said of the decision in a press conference. "It wasn't based off of last night. We feel like Gardner gives us the best opportunity to get off to a fast start, and that's who we're going with. Our team's behind it. Our staff's behind. Our organization's behind it."
Based on what Pierce is saying, the Raiders believe that Minshew is more ready to win games early in the season than O'Connell is. The veteran doesn't have as much upside but it's easy to see the logic in Las Vegas' decision.
If the Raiders are going to win, it's going to be due to a great defense. Minshew hasn't turned the ball over in the preseason yet while O'Connell threw a very careless pick-six against the Cowboys. That may have been what sealed the decision.
Regardless, this isn't ideal for the Raiders. Neither quarterback has looked great this offseason and Minshew is a career backup. Fans may want to keep their expectations low this season because even the defense looked lackluster against Cooper Rush and Trey Lance. It could be a long season for the Silver and Black.