WATCH: Raiders' QB O'Connell Sounds Off Ahead of Saints Matchup

The Las Vegas Raiders play the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, and quarterback Aidan O'Connell spoke this week about the contest.

Las Vegas Raiders QB Aidan O'Connell / Darrell Craig Harris, Sports Illustrated

HENDERSON, Nevada -- The Las Vegas Raiders face the New Orleans Saints on Sunday afternoon.

Quarterback Aidan O'Connell could end up starting against the NFC South foe, and he spoke this week about the coming matchup. We have the entire video right here:

Interim offensive coordinator Scott Turner

Q: Finding success the way you guys are able to, just in terms of the victory, what does that mean to the offense to trust the process, to know things are working?

Coach Turner: "It was great. I told the guys on Tuesday when we met that I was just really proud of them. Both times that the Jaguars scored, we responded by going down and scoring touchdowns. We had a bad stretch really as a team where, I mean it was a good stretch, they had a bad punt and we got the ball in the 35 and we didn't do anything with it. We got a good first down play, we went backwards, got a ball tipped, didn't convert, we miss a field goal, give up a long touchdown and then the lead. And we're a team that's lost 10 games in a row, so you get in a situation like that at the end of the third quarter, and it could have been very easy for our guys to just kind of pack it in, but we responded, went right back down the field. Obviously, Aidan [O'Connell] made the great play on the scramble and finding Ameer [Abdullah], but we score a touchdown and regain control of the game, and that was a big moment I think just for us and being able to do that and kind of overcome a little adversity in the game. And that's the biggest thing I told them on Tuesday, obviously there's a lot of things to improve on. There was a lot of things we did well, but that was what I was most proud of them about, was just fighting through the adversity, not worrying about it and going and responding."

Q: We haven't seen Aidan O'Connell scramble a lot in his two years here. When you see something like that, does your mind start turning?

Coach Turner: "I don't know. I don't know if we're ever going to game plan for it, but when the other teams are going to play man, and they're open running lanes, he had the 14-yard scramble early and being able to move a little bit to extend the play. I mean, those are big because when the quarterback can do stuff like that, it helps you just move the ball, move the sticks, keep getting first downs."

Q: You talked about the scoring drive to take the lead. The next drive, you guys ran almost seven minutes off the clock. I mean, those are winning plays too, right? When you are able to put together a drive, almost run the clock down and then there's an offensive pass interference that I don't think was an offensive pass interference, but you probably could have killed even more time off the clock.

Coach Turner: "Yeah, for sure. And that was like we talked about, I talked about with you guys, I talked about with them is finishing, and we had an opportunity right there to finish the game with nine minutes and twenty seconds left. And you're right, we took it to like two minutes and forty when we punted. They used one of their three timeouts, and we were able to put them down on the eight-yard line with AJ [Cole], had a great punt. Yeah, I mean I saw it about the same way you did with that, but whatever. I mean, we could have had a better first down play so we weren't in second-and-12. But yeah, if we would have got a first down there, then you're talking about - on offense, you always want to end the game with the ball. We had a chance to do that, and the defense got it back, and then we ended up doing that, taking a knee and running the clock down to zero. But that was, that was a big drive, not only obviously taking the time off the clock, but changing the field and making their offense go 92 yards to beat us."

Q: How would you qualify Aidan O'Connell's return, just his performance after the injury, and then also, how great was it to just have him back and be able to get back onto your communication styles?

Coach Turner: "It was really good. I thought he did a nice job, even when he was hurt, just staying in it. And because we thought for a little bit that he might have been able to play, but wasn't able to, but yeah he responded well. He did a nice job of just finding completions, getting the ball out of his hand. Obviously, some of those scramble plays that we talked about that he hadn't done a lot of, and yeah we’ve got a good rapport, me and Aidan [O'Connell], just communicating. I think the more he's heard me call plays, and we communicate every day here, he's able to kind of understand what I mean without me having to go into full detail. So that was good. And he's a guy that doesn't blink, and the guys really trust him, because they know the work that he puts in. So he helps us, and he's kind of the leader of the group."

Q: When you look at the Saints defense, what does a guy like Cam Jordan really mean in that unit? And how much does really putting attention on him really kind of help the rest of the offense do their thing?

Coach Turner: "So, I spent some time in Carolina, so we were in the same division. We played one time when I was in Washington. He's a great player, and he doesn't look like he's lost much even later in his career. Plays with power and speed and always finds a way to be around the ball. And of course, when you've got someone like that that we have to put attention on like you're saying, it opens up the rest of the defense to be able to play fast and confident, because they know they're going to get some pretty good looks."

Q: Terrace Marshall who came in, we're seeing more and more snaps from him. We just haven't seen the maybe the production on the stat sheet even though he's playing a little bit more. What's the next step for him, and what can he do to maybe get even more playing time?

Coach Turner: "Yeah, obviously we've got guys that we're trying to get the ball to, and then Terrace [Marshall], he's out there and he's playing a lot. I mean, it was unfortunate, I thought he was going to have a big third-down conversion on that drive I was talking about. The ball got tipped at the line of scrimmage. He was exactly where he's supposed to be, he's really kind of the zone option for that play and he was open and he probably would have got some yards after catch too. Yeah, he's had a couple catches. It just hasn't really found his way. Obviously we're targeting Brock [Bowers], we're targeting Jakobi [Meyers], Tuck [Tre Tucker], so it's hard to get everybody the ball all the time, and that's why it's hard when those couple plays come up where he's supposed to get in and it didn't happen. But he's been great, always has a positive attitude, working really hard, and he's just grateful for the opportunity."

Q: You talked last week about wanting to get Brock Bowers more involved. When you go through that stretch where he's not getting as many looks as you'd like, is he active in that process of trying to figure out ways to get himself more involved?

Coach Turner: "He doesn't really say much. And I mean it's really good, and I'm sure like as his career goes on, he'll be a little bit more like, 'Hey, I can beat him on this route,' or whatever, but no I've talked to him after games like, 'Man, I've got to move you around more. We've got to get you the ball more, and he's like, 'Coach, I just want to win.' And I'm just like, 'Alright.' He doesn't complain about it, like he always just puts it on himself, like how can he be better to get more open. But no, he doesn't say much unless I go talk to him."

Q: Where does the inspiration come from then for the different looks that you provide, like this past week?

Coach Turner: ““I mean, just film study and just different ways we can do stuff that we've done with him (Brock Bowers) before. Try to anticipate how a team is going to play him. Again, moving him at times helps. Sometimes you move him, and half the team moves, and then that opens up somebody else. We just got to keep spreading the ball to other guys too, so it takes the attention off of him. And then, like I said, sometimes we're just going to say, ‘Hey, we're going to throw him the ball.’ And sometimes we do, and he gets tackled for a four-yard gain, and that's fine, because a lot of times that half a yard separation that he has, if you have good ball placement, like he's going to get another 10 yards out of it.”

Q: With how much change there's been the running back room, how impressive have you been with Ameer Abdullah’s ability to really step in a big role and play, but also just his ability to be a leader on the team?

Coach Turner: “Yeah, he's a true pro. He would always joke around with me and say, Breakfast Club. Like he would see me in the morning working out and he's always in there first thing in the morning. This goes back to last year. He takes care of his body. I mean, when you get older in this league, and especially at that position, you got to have a detailed routine to take care of your body, and he does that. And he didn't complain. He's frustrated probably early in the year that he wasn't getting many opportunities, and as soon as he got some, he took advantage of it in the run game and in the pass game. He came up huge for us.”

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