Veteran QBs Helped O'Connell in Preseason Win
Las Vegas Raiders rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell looked sharp in the team’s 34-7 preseason victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
O’Connell completed 15 of 18 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown in three quarters, looking poised and mistake-free nearly the entire game.
Several of the things that drew General Manager Dave Ziegler and the Raiders to O’Connell were on display on Sunday -- accuracy, poise in the pocket and quick decision making.
O’Connell has these traits in common with what Coach Josh McDaniels looks for in his quarterbacks, as both Jimmy Garoppolo and Brian Hoyer play a similar style.
O’Connell addressed the media after the victory on Sunday and spoke about what he takes away from the veterans in the quarterback room and how he was able to apply it to his performance.
“Yeah, when you play sometimes during practice, you might not get a rep of a specific play that you’re going to run in the game,” O'Connell said. “So, you have to learn through watching somebody else. So, I try on every rep to act like I’m in there to go through it like I’m in there, even if I’m not in practice. And like I said, those guys do a good job. They don’t have to but they do, they talk to me, and they don’t give me the cold shoulder and just let me figure it out for [myself]. They slow it down for me when they need to and help me a lot. So, I appreciate them a lot.”
Garoppolo and Hoyer are two optimal vets O’Connell can learn from, as Garoppolo has been an overwhelming winner throughout his career. He has won 40 of his 57 career regular season starts and has played in several important postseason games, including Super Bowl LIV.
Hoyer is entering his 15th season in the NFL, and has spent several years with McDaniels. Hoyer has accumulated years of knowledge and has been able to pass some of it down to O’Connell.
O’Connell was impressive in his first NFL action on Sunday, a performance that might not have been possible without the help of the veteran quarterbacks he is learning from.
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