Will Raiders QB Battle Be Won Against Cowboys?

The Las Vegas Raiders are on the verge of making a decision on their starting quarterback.

Las Vegas Raiders Quarterbacks Aidan O'Connell, Gardner Minshew and Coach Rich Scangarello / Darrell Craig Harris, Sports Illustrated

The Las Vegas Raiders are close to a decision on who will be the starting quarterback in the 2024 season. 

Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew II have been battling all summer, neither getting a leg up on the other through training camp or the preseason. 

Deadlines spur action, and the Raiders are just a few weeks away from the season opener against the Los Angeles Chargers. A decision is certainly expected by then, and Coach Antonio Pierce knows the clock is ticking. 

Pierce is expected to name the starting quarterback after today’s preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys. 

“The goal would be to hopefully make a decision after this game this Saturday,” Pierce told the media earlier this week. “We got to get ready to play football. We got enough film, and we’ll have two games here to evaluate both quarterbacks to see how they’ll play. And we haven’t really made a decision on who’s going to start or not. But either way, both will play a quarter.”

That begs the question: Is the Cowboys game the final test each quarterback has to pass in order to earn the starting job? 

The Raiders will obviously consider training camp performances and how each quarterback played against the Minnesota Vikings, but the Cowboys game could be their last chance to make their case to be Pierce's starter. 

So, what do O’Connell and Minshew have to do to increase their chances in their quarter of play?

O’Connell must remain confident. Throughout the offseason, he has emphasized his desire to be a better vocal leader, so it is now time for him to stop vocalizing off the field and instead vocalize on it. 

O’Connell earned his teammates’ respect last season after being thrown into the fire as a fourth-round rookie in a tumultuous season. He played well, throwing eight touchdowns and no interceptions in his final four games. 

Minshew must protect the football. He is known as a player willing to take risks, which can be a positive at times and a major negative at others.

Minshew is a talented quarterback, but his erratic play sometimes hinders his success. If he can take care of the football, he can help the Raiders win many games. 

O’Connell and Minshew have a closing argument game against the Cowboys to show why they should be the starter. It will be interesting to see how they perform.

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