Tag: Aidan O’Connell

Jaguars vs Raiders Week 16 injury report: Aidan O’Connell practices FULL

All the latest updates and news on Raiders injury report ahead of a Week 16 game vs. Jaguars.

The Raiders are back at it on a short week preparing to face the Jaguars this Sunday. The bad news was placing Maxx Crosby and RB Sincere McCormick on injured reserve. But the injury report saw the team get their starting quarterback on the field.

Raiders, Jaguars injury report

QB Aidan O’Connell injury update

O’Connell returned to practice and was a full participant after missing Monday Night’s game with a bone bruise in his knee. Desmond Ridder had started in his place.

G Jordan Meredith injury update

Meredith missed practice with an ankle injury. He is the team’s starting left guard. Should he be unable to go, Cody Whitehair would replace him in the lineup.

WR Jakobi Meyers injury update

Meyers was limited by an ankle injury.

RB Alexander Mattison injury update

Mattison suffered a neck injury on the team’s first drive against the Falcons. He returned to the game and appears to be good to go.

Raiders make 5 roster moves including Aidan O’Connell contingency plan

Raiders made several roster moves on Wednesday as they began preparations for Week 15 vs the Falcons. Including adding a quarterback.

Wednesday the Raiders had their first walk-thru as they begin the week of practices for their Monday Night matchup with the Atlanta Falcons in Las Vegas. As they do so, they needed to tidy up the roster in light of some injuries.

  • Signed QB Carter Bradley off the practice squad.
  • Placed RB Zamir White on injured reserve
  • Signed QB Jake Luton to practice squad
  • Signed DT Tyler Manoa to the practice squad
  • Released DT Marquan McCall from the practice squad

Bradley spent the offseason with the team and has been on the practice squad all season. He was added to backup Desmond Ridder in case Aidan O’Connell is unable to go.

“Well, I just think dealing with the injuries, might as well have three quarterbacks up the way the season has been going,” said Antonio Pierce. “But Carter [Bradley] has done a really good job, kind of like Sincere [McCormick], giving us this really good look on the practice squad and the look team, being competitive, really getting after us. And I think as the season has grown, again it’s in practice, but you have seen improvement. I think the moxie’s come out of him, he’s kind of got out of his shell. I think it’s a great opportunity, you never know what’s going to happen in the game, and he has to be ready to play because it’s been that kind of season for us.”

Luton was signed to the practice squad to replace Bradley. He was a sixth round pick by the Jaguars in the 2020 draft out of Oregon State. He started three games for the Jaguars his rookie season and hasn’t played a game since, spending time on the practice squads of the Jaguars, Saints, and Panthers.

Desmond Ridder preparing as if he will start for Raiders Week 15 vs Falcons

Though Aidan O’Connell’s status for week 15 is still uncertain, Desmond Ridder is approaching week 15 as the Raiders starter vs the Falcons.

Wednesday morning head coach Antonio Pierce said that Aidan O’Connell would be participating in the team’s walk-thru and they would be keeping an eye on him throughout the week before they decide whether he will play.

Following practice, however, when the team’s starting QB was to meet with the media, Desmond Ridder and Aidan O’Connell each stepped behind the podium. Giving the indication that it’s very possible, Ridder could be the team’s starting QB come Monday.

Starting the week as the named starter is a luxury Ridder got many times last season in Atlanta, but he hasn’t experienced yet this season, first on the Cardinals practice squad and now in more than a month in Las Vegas.

“Yeah, that’s just sometimes not how it works in this league. Sometimes as a backup you only get a couple reps throughout the week,” Ridder said.

“But obviously with preparation, just like in any job it would be a lot easier go out there and practice before you go do something. But as a backup our job is to be prepared for any situation.”

Every time a backup steps into a starting role, they are asked if their preparation changes. And they inevitably say it doesn’t.

“As a backup you ‘ve got to prepare as if you’re the starter. You have to prepare as if — it could be any play, it could be the first play, it could be the second. So, for me my mindset doesn’t change. Come in the same way Monday through Sunday and work the same way I do.”

This all sounds good, but preparing like the starting QB when you aren’t the starting QB is simply not possible. They can do their best to to be ready to step in — mental reps and such — but the actual starter will be getting all the actual reps with the other starters as the team practices throughout the week. And from the sounds of it, this week Ridder will be getting that kind of work in.

Busters for Raiders week 14 loss to the Buccaneers

Upon further review, the poor performances that most led to the Raiders loss in Tampa.

When you lose your ninth straight, there’s gonna be a few fingers pointed. Here are a few.

Busters

S Isaiah Pola-Mao

The Bucs scored four touchdowns in the game. And he was a part of

On the first touchdown, Jack Jones bit on a pump fake and Pola-Mao was supposed to give him help over the top. But he didn’t get over in time and Jalen McMillan scored the 15-yard touchdown.

Pola-Mao gave up a 20-yard catch that put the Bucs in scoring range on their second touchdown drive.

The Bucs had two big plays on their third TD drive. And Pola-Mao missed tackles on both of them. The first, he lowered his head and dove, leading to Mike Evans hurdling him to go for 32 yards. The next one he laid out and whiffed again on a 34-yard run that put them in first and goal.

The final touchdown drive featured a Pola-Mao giving up a catch and missing the tackle on a 45-yard play. Three plays later, they put the game away.

QB Aidan O’Connell

To lead out the second quarter, the Raiders got a rare takeaway. And on then O’Connell fumbled the snap on the first play of their possession to give it right back.

The defense would get it back again on their first fumble recovery of the season and this time AOC made something out of it. If not for Brock Bowers drawing a pass interference on third down, the Raiders would have likely only gotten a field goal out of it. That gave the Raiders first and goal and led to AOC getting the first rushing yards of his career on a TD sneak. Making it seem for a moment like the Raiders would make a game of it.

But even with a 29-yard run on the next drive, the Raiders couldn’t get a touchdown out of it.

To begin the third quarter, they had a long drive. And that QB sneak TD seemed to make AOC feel mobile for a moment. He tried to run it and got four yards, but hurt himself when he was tackled. He stayed in the game and the offense moved inside the ten. Then AOC tried forcing a pass to Brock Bowers and was picked off to get no points out of the 16-play drive.

The next drive, he tried rolling right and was pushed after the pass, hurting his leg bad enough they put it in an air cast and carted him off the field. Yeah, mobility is still not his thing.

C Jackson Powers-Johnson

Even if you don’t blame him for the fumbled snap, he had plenty of issues in the game.

After giving up a touchdown to open the game, the Raiders needed a response. They instead had a three-and-out. On third and ten, JPJ didn’t pick up the blitz and AOC was sacked for a ten-yard loss.

He was flagged for a blindside block on the next Raiders drive that called back a nice screen to Sincere McCormick. Though to be honest it was a pretty questionable call.

On the play in which AOC got hurt on the rollout, one of the defenders who was chasing him down got by JPJ.

Then there was another fumbled snap exchange between him and Desmond Ridder.

LB Robert Spillane

On the second TD drive for the Bucs, Spillane gave up a 13-yard run, then a 12-yard run, and then was standing in the middle of the field a few yards away watching Rachaad White catch the touchdown. That was three consecutive plays.

The next TD drive, he gave up the edge on a 34-yard run and then didn’t fill the gap on the three-yard touchdown run on the next play.

CB DeCamerion Richardson

The rookie has been a mainstay among the Busters since he took over for Jakorian Bennett after the injury. He was out of position on a 15-yard catch and run on the first TD drive.

In the third quarter he was posterized on a wicked stiff arm to give up a 12-yard run. The next drive, he gave up a 14-yard catch on third and eight. And the next drive he gave up a 32-yard catch, which was the big catch that seemed to get the Bucs offense back on track and they scored a two touchdowns down the stretch to end it.

WR Tre Tucker

The Raiders deep threat had two catches for seven yards. They went to him early and he couldn’t get open up the middle. A couple drives later, O’Connell threw for him up the left sideline and he couldn’t keep his feet inbounds.

P AJ Cole

He had four punts. None were stopped inside the 20 and one bounded into the end zone for a touchback to average a net 38.5 yards per punt.

See the Ballers

Will Aidan O’Connell play this week? Injury updates for Raiders QB

Updates on Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell’s knee injury and whether he will play week 15 vs the Falcons and the remainder of the season.

In the third quarter of Sunday’s game in Tampa, Aidan O’Connell rolled out to the right trying to convert a third and long. He completed the pass short of the sticks and was hit in the back and injured his leg on the way to the ground. His leg was put in an air cast and he was carted off the field.

After the game, Antonio Pierce said of O’Connell’s injury “doesn’t look good”

Aidan O’Connell injury update

According to NFL media’s Ian Rapoport, O’Connell suffered a bone bruise in his knee, which is positive considering initial fears.

Raiders QB depth chart

Desmond Ridder came into the game for the Raiders. They have no other QB on the active roster though, if O’Connell were OUT, the team would elevate Carter Bradley from the practice squad to back up Ridder.

Gardner Minshew is out for the season with a broken collarbone.

Aidan O’Connell injury vs Buccaneers: Latest news on Raiders QB

Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell left the team’s week 14 game with a leg injury. Here are the latest updates.

The third quarter was a tragic one for Aidan O’Connell. He led the Raiders on a drive that lasted over ten minutes and put them at the Bucs 10-yard line. Then everything fell apart. 

O’Connell threw for Brock Bowers and was picked off by cornerback Tykee Smith. After a Raiders defensive stop, O’Connell came back out and on his first play, threw a pop fly off his back foot for another interception. 

Aidan O’Connell injury update

Next possession, O’Connell came out and rolled out trying to convert a third and long. He completed the pass short of the sticks and was hit in the back and injured his leg on the way to the ground. His leg was put in an air cast and he was carted off the field.

After the game, Antonio Pierce said of O’Connell’s injury “doesn’t look good”

Raiders QB depth chart

Desmond Ridder came into the game for the Raiders. They have no other QB on the active roster. Carter Bradley is the team’s practice squad QB.

Gardner Minshew is out for the season with a broken collarbone.

Raiders offense seeing signs of progress of late

Even as the Raiders losing streak continues, there are positive signs they could be putting things together on offense under interim OC Scott Turner.

Make no mistake, the Raiders are still one of the worst teams in the league. They are still in the midst of an eight-game losing streak and the offense hasn’t cracked 20 points in a month. But if you are looking for signs of hope, there are signs to be found.

A month ago, the Raiders fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy and promoted passing game coordinator Scott Turner to interim OC. And things have improved in the three games since he took over.

Total yards have been better in each of the past three games than they had been for any of the games over the final month under Getsy. The passing yards totals have been better than at any point since their losing streak began and have gone over 300 yards in each of the past two games, which hadn’t happened all season coming in. And their 116 yards on the ground in Kansas City last week was their third highest total of the season.

Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce credits Turner for that improvement.

“When I look at all our skill guys and improvement that they’re making these last three games, I think Scott [Turner] has done a good job of really getting everybody involved and that’s even in our running game,” said Pierce. “And that’s a credit to these players, because it hasn’t gone our way for most of the season offensively, and to see the progress that we made over the last two or three weeks is good to see.”

The deep passing game has been the catalyst for the overall improved numbers through the air. And the best example was the 58-yard touchdown from Aidan O’Connell to Tre Tucker last week.

“We’ve been talking about hitting shots for a while now, and I thought the best thing we did was play design,” Pierce said. “Let’s look at that, right? We got him in motion. We got movement between the corner and the nickel, now we’ve got Tre Tucker running full speed on them, something we’ve been really working on in practice.”

Coaching may be where it starts, but you can’t call a pass play like that without a QB who can make that throw. It’s something former starter Gardner Minshew lacked, but that is very much in a staple of current (and former) starter Aidan O’Connell’s game.

“We haven’t thrown the ball down the field, let’s just keep it frank,” Pierce continued. “And Aidan [O’Connell] saw it, and I’m not going to lie he did right in front of me, I just said ball and that bad boy kept running. It was beautiful to see.”

At some point, it may lead to a win. Which, with the Raiders officially eliminated from playoff contention, may not matter much. What you really want to see now is progress and some signs of a good foundation for the future.

Raiders HC Antonio Pierce updates Week 14 status of QB Aidan O’Connell, WR Jakobi Meyers

Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell and WR Jakobi Meyers missed practice Thursday. Here are the latest updates.

Thursday’s injury report brought a bit of a surprise with both QB Aidan O’Connell and top WR Jakobi Meyers missing practice. O’Connell was out with an illness while Meyers had an ankle injury.

Their sudden absences left things up in the air as to their availability for the team’s game in Tampa on Sunday. Friday morning, head coach Antonio Pierce updated the status of the two players. And it was good news.

Aidan O’Connell injury update

“He’s out here ready to go,” Pierce said of O’Connell. “He’s full go. He’ll be fine.”

Quarterback depth chart

If for whatever reason O’Connell were not able to go, the next man up is Desmond Ridder.

Jakobi Meyers injury update

For Meyers, it was a similar answer from Pierce “Full go. He’ll go today.”

Wide receiver depth chart

Should Meyers be unable to go, it would fall to undrafted rookie Ramel Keyton to step up. Former second round pick Terrace Marshall is another option.

Raiders PFF grades: 5 highest rated Week 13 vs. Chiefs

The Raiders lost in spectacular fashion against the Chiefs on Black Friday, but who played the best for Las Vegas despite the defeat?

The Raiders and Chiefs put on a show for a national audience on Black Friday, but Kansas City escaped with a win as Las Vegas was left to wonder what could have been.

The Raiders were in position to kick a game-winning field goal but ran one too many plays, resulting in a miss-timed snap, fumble, and a crushing last-second defeat.

However, some Raiders had a productive day. Tight end Brock Bowers was spectacular, catching 10 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown. He’s the highest-graded player on the team this week, according to Pro Football Focus.

The No. 2 player on the list is graded 10 points below Bowers’ impressive 90.6 rating. Defensive tackle Jonah Laulu earned playing time on Friday and rewarded his coaches with three tackles and a pass breakup. He helped the Raiders’ strong run defense on Friday.

Three more players on offense — quarterback Aidan O’Connell, running back Sincere McCormick, and wide receiver Jakobi Meyers — complete the list this week.  That’s no surprise, as the Raiders offense outgained the Chiefs offense by a healthy margin, 434 to 329.

But at some point, it would be nice for the Raiders to earn grades from PFF after a victory. Las Vegas has lost eight straight, and coach Antonio Pierce probably has to win a game or two to save his job, regardless of how hard his team plays on gameday. They’ll try for a win aginst Tampa Bay in Week 14.

Ballers & Busters for Raiders Week 13 heartbreaker vs Chiefs

A hard-fought game in Kansas City yielded some very conflicted results in this weeks tally of the best and worst performances.

This team put up a hell of a fight in Kansas City. They nearly pulled off a repeat performance to their Christmas Day upset last season. And very well should have done it if not for a botched snap on the final play.

Both teams started slowly, with the score just 10-3 at the half. Then the Chiefs pulled away, adding a couple field goals to make it a 16-3 game. But just when you thought the game was out of reach, the Raiders went on two touchdown drives to take the lead.

In the end they had the chance to win it on a field goal, but watched it slip through their fingers.

Ballers

TE Brock Bowers

Bowers just keeps upping his game. He put up double digit catches again, this time for a career-high 140 yards and a touchdown. He even had a ridiculous one-handed grab in the game. And on the final drive into field goal range, he made a 25-yard catch to midfield.

DE Maxx Crosby, DE K’Lavon Chaisson

Last week it was Tyree Wilson sharing the spotlight with Crosby. This week it’s Chaisson who routinely got into the backfield. Chaisson got to Patrick Mahomes three times, for 1.5 sacks and a pressure that led to Crosby’s sack. In total, Crosby had four QB hits and two tackles for loss. While Chaisson had a tackle for loss and three QB hits.

WR Jakobi Meyers

Meyers had two huge catches of 43 yards and 24 yards to lead out the Raiders first scoring drive. He added a ten-yard catch on the final drive that put the Raiders at the KC 40-yard-line. He finished with six catches for 97 yards.

RB Ameer Abdullah

His 69-yard kick return in the third quarter came just in time. The Raiders were down 16-3 at the time and it put the team in business at the KC 26-yard line. They would score their first TD two plays later to make it a one-score game. He would add two catches for 14 yards on the final drive, including the seven-yard catch to put the team in field goal range for what would have been the game winner.

QB Aidan O’Connell

If the Raiders could have closed the deal, O’Connell may have been Top Baller for this game. He threw for 340 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, led the Raiders from down 16-3 to the lead early in the fourth quarter, and then down the field for what would have been the game-winner. But his clapping confused the line on the final play, causing the ball to be snapped early and costing them the win. He was superb other than that. Hence him getting credit for it despite his big mistake at the end.

Honorable Mention

DT Adam Butler — Second on the team in tackles (6) and had a half sack and a tackle for loss.

WR Tre Tucker — got open deep up the left sideline for the go ahead touchdown to open the fourth quarter.

RB Sincere McCormick — Had 12 carries for 64 yards (5.3 yards per carry)

Continue to the Busters…