Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce still has hope for quarterback Aidan O’Connell in spite of the rookie’s struggles.
While speaking about O’Connell this week, Pierce said everyone is expecting too much of him in the early stages of his career.
“I really think that takes a lot for a young quarterback to understand that and have that emotional balance of not getting into the highs and the lows of the National Football League, and then to read the press good or bad,” Pierce told reporters, via the Raiders’ official YouTube account. “Because two weeks ago, he was Joe Montana, right? … Now, put him with the Bad News Bears.”
O’Connell is coming off of a brutal Week 16 outing in which he went just 9-for-21 with 62 yards in a Christmas Day win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
That came after the first-year signal-caller racked up four touchdown passes in a 63-21 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers the week prior.
“We’re not doing that. He’s the starting quarterback and he’ll have his ups and downs,” Pierce continued. “We’ve got to do a better job around him from the coaches, play callers, players around him to bring him along. I never thought any day we will win a game because of Aidan, that was not the plan and is not the plan going forward.”
O’Connell did not enter the season as Las Vegas’ starting quarterback. That job belonged to Jimmy Garoppolo, who signed a three-year deal with the Raiders back in the offseason. However, Garoppolo did not exactly work out, clearing the way for O’Connell.
There was plenty of buzz surrounding O’Connell due to an impressive preseason showing, but it has not translated into much regular-season success just yet.
Through nine appearances and eight starts, the 25-year-old has thrown for 1,675 yards, eight touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 61.5 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 78.7.
Aidan O’Connell and the Raiders are 7-8 and still have slim postseason hopes in the crowded AFC playoff picture. They will take on the Indianapolis Colts in a critical matchup this Sunday before wrapping up the regular season against the Denver Broncos on Jan. 7.
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