Tag: DJ Turner

Bengals get miserable injury news on emerging defender

Yet another bad injury update for the Bengals.

The Cincinnati Bengals just can’t enjoy any sort of luck at the cornerback position this year.

During Sunday night’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, promising upstart cornerback DJ Turner went down with an injury while impressively defending a pass attempt and didn’t return to the game.

Now, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has revealed that Turner will likely miss the rest of the season with a fractured clavicle.

Turner, a second-round pick in 2023, stepped up and into a starting role while Cam Taylor-Britt and others struggled. While nobody outside of Trey Hendrickson has been truly great on the defense this year, the Michigan product was showing flashes of long-term starter upside.

Now, Turner’s ascent goes on hold and the Bengals will need to search for answers at a position that already lost impressive former first-rounder Dax Hill to a season-ending injury, too.

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Busters for Raiders Week 9 loss to Bengals

Those who had the roughest outing in the Raiders big loss in Cincinnati.

Over a ten minute stretch from the end of the second quarter to midway through the third quarter, the Bengals left the Raiders in the dust. What was a 10-10 tie because a 31-10 Bengals lead and they pretty much never looked back. Next thing you knew it, it was a 41-17 game and coaches’ heads were rolling before the night was up.

Busters

LB Divine Deablo

Tight ends have been gouging the Raiders of late. Opponents are realizing that’s one of their weaknesses and they’re exploiting it. Mike Gesicki alone had five catches for 100 yards and two touchdowns.

Often times it was Deablo who they went after for those catches. But that wasn’t the only area Deablo struggled in this one.

The Bengals’ first drive went for a touchdown. At one point, on three consecutive plays, Deablo gave up either the catch or run for 27 yards to put them at the Vegas 33. The second TD drive came in the final three minutes of the first half and it was Deablo who gave up the TD catch from ten yards out.

First drive of the third quarter saw the Bengals drive for another TD. Deablo missed a tackle on a 21-yard run early in the drive, then in first and goal at the seven, he was out of position on a five yard run, and two plays later gave up another touchdown catch.

LB Robert Spillane

Kudos to him for playing through his injury, but he doesn’t look right out there. Just like last week, he’s still making some tackles. They’re just several yards down the field. And he’s having more troubling fighting through blocks and cutting quickly.

The Bengals’ second scoring drive, he gave up the two biggest plays on the drive — an 18-yard catch and a 12-yard catch and run where he missed the tackle. Then the first play of the third quarter, he had Joe Burrow dead to rights on the blitz and missed the tackle to give up an 11-yard scramble instead.

He finished with seven combine tackles, which was his second lowest total of the season and had just one solo tackle.

WR DJ Turner

Even with the Bengals scoring to end the first half and to begin the third quarter, it was still a two-score game. Then Turner lined up in the backfield to take the handoff and fumbled it. The Bengals recovered it at the Vegas 21 and drive for another touchdown. Dagger.

T Thayer Munford

What Troy Hendrickson did to him in this game was sickening. Henderickson finished the game with a single game career -high four sacks. And three of those came from the left side while Munford was in the game.

It may be considered cruel to call Munford out considering he was pressed into left tackle duties after Kolton Miller and Andrus Peat both went down with injuries. But, I am not here to give consideration to such things. He got embarrassed in this one. Enough so that you realize why he is the third string left tackle and not the primary backup. We’re talking about the season opening starting right tackle here too.

HC Antonio Pierce, OC Luke Getsy, DC Patrick Graham

No coach is safe from criticism here. And not just because it was a bad game and we’re spreading around blame liberally. But because they each had their very specific issues.

The offense once again dried up after the opening drive. Just a few days after Getsy took exception to the term “scripted drive”. And probably about the time the Raiders plane landed in Vegas, he was no long employed by them.

Even still, the Raiders were down just one score in the final seconds of the first half and driving. But in third and four from the 48, after Getsy called a doomed screen, they are in prime position to go for it on fourth down. Just 17 seconds left and about five yards away from Daniel Carlson field goal range. Instead Pierce showed no aggressive and a complete lack of faith in his offense and his defense by sending out the punt team. There was nothing to gain from that decision and almost everything to lose.

If you are worried you won’t make it and the Bengals would drive into field goal range, then you think they can just easily to that anyway, so what’s even the point? Otherwise, you just go down fighting. You don’t give up. Before halftime, the Raiders gave up.

As for Graham and this defense…the Bengals scored on every one of their first five possessions; four of which were touchdowns. And far too many times, there were wide open receivers. Whether it be backs squirting out of the backfield with no one around, tight ends finding huge soft spots in the zone, or running backs finding gaping holes for chunk plays. This defense is a shell of what it looked like when it found inspiration late last season.

See the Ballers

Raiders Week 7 snap counts vs Rams: Who filled in at receiver with Jakobi Meyers OUT

With Davante Adams traded away and Jakobi Meyers again out with injury, the Raiders had to cobble together a wide receiver corps vs the Rams

It is becoming increasingly obvious with each game the lack of star power on this Raiders team. Obviously it starts at quarterback where it clearly hasn’t mattered whether it’s Aidan O’Connell or Gardner Minshew behind center. But it extends well beyond that.

Several of the team’s biggest stars heading into this season were not on the field or not on the roster for Sunday’s game in Los Angeles. Including Davante Adams who was traded to the Jets and Christian Wilkins who is on injured reserve.

At receiver in particular, they were also without start Jakobi Meyers who has an ankle injury.

Leading the way in snaps for the Raiders were Tre Tucker and DJ Turner, both of whom plaed 75 snaps (95%). That takes care of one outside receiver spot (Tucker) and the slot (Turner).

For the other receiver spot, the duties were split between recent practice squad players Alex Bachman and Kristian Wilkerson; neither of whom got a single target. So, yeah, not really what you want.

It was a four-man rotation at defensive tackle of Adam Butler, John Jenkins, Jonah Laulu, and Matthew Butler.

Offense Spec Tms
Player Pos Num Pct Num Pct
Jackson Powers-Johnson G 79 100% 5 18%
Kolton Miller T 79 100% 5 18%
Jordan Meredith G 79 100% 5 18%
DJ Glaze T 79 100% 5 18%
Andre James C 79 100% 0 0%
DJ Turner WR 75 95% 7 25%
Tre Tucker WR 75 95% 0 0%
Brock Bowers TE 66 84% 0 0%
Gardner Minshew II QB 65 82% 0 0%
Alexander Mattison RB 55 70% 0 0%
Alex Bachman WR 36 46% 12 43%
Harrison Bryant TE 23 29% 4 14%
Kristian Wilkerson WR 18 23% 6 21%
John Samuel Shenker TE 14 18% 11 39%
Aidan O’Connell QB 14 18% 0 0%
Ameer Abdullah RB 13 16% 15 54%
Zamir White RB 11 14% 0 0%
Justin Shorter TE 3 4% 12 43%
Andrus Peat G 3 4% 5 18%
Thayer Munford T 3 4% 5 18%
Defense Spec Tms
Player Pos Num Pct Num Pct
Isaiah Pola-Mao FS 55 100% 7 25%
Maxx Crosby DE 55 100% 1 4%
Tre’von Moehrig FS 55 100% 0 0%
Robert Spillane LB 55 100% 0 0%
Jack Jones CB 53 96% 0 0%
Divine Deablo LB 51 93% 11 39%
Nate Hobbs CB 48 87% 0 0%
Jakorian Bennett CB 44 80% 0 0%
Adam Butler DT 36 65% 5 18%
John Jenkins DT 34 62% 7 25%
Tyree Wilson DE 30 55% 3 11%
Jonah Laulu DT 27 49% 6 21%
K’Lavon Chaisson LB 22 40% 1 4%
Matthew Butler DT 16 29% 4 14%
Charles Snowden DE 11 20% 11 39%
Decamerion Richardson CB 9 16% 16 57%
Thomas Harper FS 4 7% 16 57%
Special Teams Spec Tms
Player Pos Num Pct Num Pct
Amari Gainer LB 0 0% 23 82%
Amari Burney LB 0 0% 23 82%
Christopher Smith SS 0 0% 16 57%
Trey Taylor SS 0 0% 12 43%
Daniel Carlson K 0 0% 10 36%
Jacob Bobenmoyer LS 0 0% 9 32%
AJ Cole III P 0 0% 9 32%
Darnay Holmes CB 0 0% 7 25%
Nesta Jade Silvera DT 0 0% 7 25%
Cody Whitehair G 0 0% 5 18%
Tyreik McAllister RB 0 0% 2 7%

3 causes for concern as Raiders face the Steelers Week 6

There are a few areas that are no doubt pretty worrisome for the Raiders against the Steelers Sunday.

While there are some reasons for optimism for the Raiders as they get set to face the Steelers this Sunday, there are also plenty causes for concern. Here are three I’m looking at.

Turnover differential…differential

With these two teams, you have nearly opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to turnovers. The Raiders have literally the worst turnover differential in the league (-7). While the Steelers have the fifth best tunover differential (+4).

Just once has a Steelers QB thrown an interception this season. Meanwhile, the Raiders are tied for the most interceptions thrown in the league (6).

It seems kind of funny, then, that both teams are talking about switching quarterbacks. Clearly the bar for QB play with each team is set at very different heights.

Down two number one receivers?

That’s what the Raiders could be looking at in this game. Davante Adams is set to miss his third game with a hamstring/trade request situation. His fellow starter — and number one receiver replacement the past two weeks — Jakobi Meyers is dealing with an ankle injury that has his status in doubt as well.

The past couple weeks they turned to DJ Turner as their third option behind Meyers and Tre Tucker. If Meyers is out too, Turner could start and it’s hard to say who else will step up considering the only other wide receiver on the roster is Tyreik McAllister. And Tucker, Turner, and McAllister are all very similiar types of receivers.

Suffice to say their options are limited and depth is a huge concern.

Terrible Towel Takeover

Word is this game is a hot ticket. And you can bet it isn’t because Raiders fans are simply much more eager to see their team take on this old rival. It’s because Steelers fans are coming. And with them the Raiders lose anything resembling home field advantage.

Expect Allegiant to be inundated with Terrible Towels. Yeah, the idea that a piece of cloth would be intimidating is laughable. But, really, it’s not about the towel. It’s about the noise of the fans attached to them. And in a covered stadium like this, it will get extremely noisy.

Raiders change up run game approach vs Browns, eclipse entire season rushing total

Funny what can happen when you try something other than running into brick walls over and over.

Three games in and the Raiders were averaging 51 yards rushing per game. Their offense was incredibly predictable and going nowhere fast. Something seems to have finally clicked with the coaching staff that starting nearly every set of downs with two runs up the middle was not establishing anything but how terrible the Raiders were at doing it.

So, today, the Raiders tried something new – give the receivers the ball.

And by that, I mean literally hand it to them.

Five times in the game, the Raiders gave it to a receiver either on a sweep or a reverse. The result of those plays was 44 yards and both of the Raiders’ touchdowns.

The first time came late in the first quarter and it went to Brock Bowers who picked up 12 yards on the play. That led out a long touchdown drive. That drive ended with Tyreik McAllister going for ten yards on a sweep and two plays later, Tre Tucker on the reverse for the touchdown from three yards out.

“You call it in the huddle and in my head it’s a touchdown because no one’s running me down. It’s three yards I had to get,” said Tucker. “I bet my life I can get three yards down there, so that’s what I did.”

Plays like that have residual effects.

The next Raiders drive, Tucker caught a pass in the right flat and then turned it into nine yards. The next play, Alexander Mattison got the ball up the middle and took off for the longest run of the season, going for 24 yards. It was a pull block by newly minted starter Jackson Powers-Johnson that helped open up the hole Mattison used.

“Definitely a domino effect,” said Powers-Johnson of one good run leading to another. “You just gain confidence. Sometimes you just need…I mean you look at a pitcher who practices his curve ball. Doesn’t get it right, doesn’t get it right. And then he feels that perfect flick of the wrist and just curves right over. That’s how it is. You see that one pop where pads are popping and you feel that crowd and you’re like, ok let’s go.”

That 24-yarder wasn’t just the longest run of the season. It was TWICE that of their previous longest run of the season. And by halftime the Raiders had 95 yards on the ground, which already nearly doubled their previous yards per game average. It’s no accident it came on the heels of several successful plays on the outside.

“It keeps the defense on their toes and keeps them thinking,” Mattison said of getting the receivers involved in the run game. “They don’t know who’s getting the ball, they don’t know where the ball’s going. So for us to be able to keep them operating and thinking like that, it’s big.”

Come the third quarter, Mattison broke off another big run. This time for 16 yards. And the Raiders used that run to throw the curve ball and hand it to DJ Turner on a sweep. Turner got a nice block from Brock Bowers to get around the edge and another great block from Tre Tucker to finish it off with a touchdown.

Turner has no shortage of speed. But Turner knows even the quickest players need their teammates doing their jobs to turn good gains into paydirt.

“He told me before the game ‘once you get the ball I got you’, Turner said of Tucker. “So I just followed him and it happened.”

“It was awesome,’ Tucker said of the play. “It’s one of those things where I can’t really see what’s going on behind me. I’m just blocking and blocking and next thing I know I’m like I just hear the crowd go crazy. I’m like what happened and DJ’s in the end zone and I’m out of bounds blocking. Like they say that’s a touchdown block.”

With that touchdown run, the Raiders went up 20-10 and led the rest of the way. And by midway through the fourth quarter, they had already surpassed in this game alone, their entire rushing total over the first three games coming in.

Funny what can happen when you stop simply banging your head against the wall over and over.

5 Raiders Offensive Players to watch in Preseason finale vs 49ers

The final preseason game will be the battle of those trying to fight their way up the depth chart and fight their way onto the roster. In that spirit, keep an eye on these five players on the offensive side of the ball.

The final preseason game will be the battle of those trying to fight their way up the depth chart and fight their way onto the roster. In that spirit, keep an eye on these five players on the offensive side of the ball.

A few years ago, Peterman was that player on the Raiders who they just couldn’t quit. He spent nearly four years with the team as the most non-threatening backup ever. Just the way Derek Carr needed him to be. Hence why he joined Carr with the Saints this past offseason. But even they ended up releasing him.

Now he’s back, reuniting with Luke Getsy who was his OC in Chicago for two seasons. Could be see Peterman take the field to start this game? It’s possible. If Getsy thinks Peterman has acclimated to the team enough over the past couple weeks since he arrived. And, more importantly, has Peterman improved at all since the last we saw him suit up for the Raiders?

The rookie back has yet to live up to the training camp hype with his preseason play. Often times players step up in the games after not showing much in practice. Antonio Pierce has said that won’t impress him much. But you’d have to figure the other must be true as well. He needs to show up in the preseason too. Not just against his teammates when they’re no allowed to tackle him to the ground.

Turner has been turning heads in both practice and in games. Every play he makes, he earns more and more confidence that he can be a serious weapon in this offense as well as on special teams.

The former Chargers speedster came over because he played under Tom Telesco for four seasons. But he hasn’t shown much. First he was injured through much of camp and now he just hasn’t stood out. He needs to do something in this game if he wants to get off the roster bubble.

This could be the longest look we have gotten so far of Glaze at right tackle. Despite looking good in camp, it has continued to be Thayer Munford who has taken the field as the team’s starter through the first two preseason games.

Ballers for Raiders Preseason Week 2 vs Cowboys

Ballers for Raiders Preseason Week 2 vs Cowboys

There wasn’t much to cheer about in the Raiders second preseason matchup of 2024. But there were some bright spots here and there. And since these games don’t count, it’s easier to celebrate the small victories.

Ballers

WR Tre Tucker

This game was the Tre Tucker show. He had another long ball in this game, just as he did in the preseason opener. This one went for 48 yards and set up the Raiders’ first score. He might have had one on the first drive of the game had Minshew seen him break open. He would finish the game with three catches for 66 yards.

Tucker also did work in the return game, running a punt back 42 yards to put the Raiders at the Dallas 28 and setting up their second score of the game.

WR DJ Turner

The man who was to be Tucker’s primary competition at slot receiver has the Raiders thinking of ways to get both players on the field.

The Raiders had one touchdown drive in the game. It was their lone third down drive. And it was all Turner. He caught a short dump pass and turned it into 12 yards to put the Raiders in scoring range. Then on fourth and two, he made the catch for a seven-yard gain. A few plays later, on third and five, Turner made an outstanding grab, reaching around the outstretched arm of a defender to pull it in and put the Raiders in first and goal at the eight.

CB Jack Jones

Jones pass breakups ended the Cowboys’ first two drives. He also tied for the team lead with six tackles.

DE Elerson Smith

Smith blew up a run for a loss to end the Cowboys’ first possession of the third quarter. Then on the Cowboys’ final drive, he forced a holding penalty and on the next play got a pressure leading to an incompletion.

Continue to the Busters…

Raiders winners and losers in 27-12 preseason defeat vs. Cowboys

Raiders winners and losers in 27-12 preseason defeat vs. Cowboys

After an encouraging performance last week, the Raiders starting offense bogged down against the Cowboys’ second-team defense in Las Vegas on Saturday. The defense had its own struggles and the home team lost, 27-12 in a lackluster preseason ballgame.

Quarterback Gardner Minshew got the start and missed multiple opportunities to take a commanding lead in his battle for the starting QB job. That left the door open for QB Aidan O’Connell. He threw a touchdown pass to tight end Bryant in the Raiders’ first drive of the second half, but just as it appeared he would take charge in the QB competition, he threw a pick-6 to open the fourth quarter.

As for the defense, they allowed 114 rushing yards in the first half, despite playing most of their starters. Like the offense, they faced Cowboys backups.

Here are the winners and losers for the week after the Raiders dropped to 1-1 in the preseason.

Winner: WR Tre Tucker

The Raiders didn’t score many points on Saturday, but they found moderate success in the passing game.

Wide receiver Tre Tucker built on his strong showing last week and hauled in three catches for 66 yards, including a 48-yard grab on a throw from Minshew. Tucker also had a nifty 43-yard punt return. The second-year speedster continues to improve and could see a major role with the Las Vegas offense this year.

 

Winner: WR DJ Turner

Wide receiver DJ Turner continued his strong preseason, notching five catches for 31 yards. He was a security blanket for O’Connell as O’Connell led a long drive for Las Vegas to start the second half.

The Raiders are looking for depth at wideout, and with other reserves yet to make a huge impact, Turner appears ready to take on a larger role this year as well. He’s similar in stature to Tucker but is a little more shifty in space, providing some versatility to the back-end of the Raiders WR depth.

Loser: QB Gardner Minshew

Coach Antonio Pierce said he planned to name his starting quarterback after playing the Cowboys. Minshew played first and had every opportunity to take the job, especially because the Cowboys played their reserve defense.

Minshew started slow but appeared to rebound after his bomb to Tucker. He continued missing his receivers, however, and he made some risky throws that could have been interceptions.

Pierce played Minshew into the second quarter despite planning to switch to O’Connell at that time. Minshew went 3-and-out after remaining in the ball game, and after the Raiders special teams recovered a punt-return fumble, Minshew missed badly on a 4th-and-6 throw.

Loser: QB Aidan O’Connell

O’Connell looked solid after entering the game in the third quarter but failed to capitalize on Tucker’s punt return. In his defense, a questionable penalty on offensive lineman Jordan Meredith stalled the drive.

He led a long scoring drive in the third quarter that ended with a touchdown throw to tight end Harrison Bryant. At the moment, it appeared that O’Connell was about to take his starting job back.

But then he threw a pick-6 interception, giving the Cowboys a 20-12 advantage.

Coach Pierce expected to have answers at quarterback after this game, but he’s likely questioning both signal-callers after this effort.

Loser: OC Luke Getsy

Minshew wasn’t the only one to have an opportunity against Cowboys backups. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy had a chance to build on his offense’s strong showing last week but his unit was a dud in this ballgame. He was without star WR Davante Adams and rookie tight end Brock Bowers, but that’s no excuse.

Loser: Reserve defensive lineman

The Raiders’ defensive starters played a lot in the first half. It went fairly well until defensive lineman Maxx Crosby, Christian Wilkins, and John Jenkins exited the game late in the second quarter.

As the rest of the Raiders starters remained in the game, Las Vegas’ reserve linemen were the weak link on a 14-play drive that ended with a touchdown toss by Cowboys QB Trey Lance. Raiders starting cornerback Jack Jones was beat on the play in one-on-one coverage.

Loser: DL Tyree Wilson

Former top-10 draft pick defensive lineman Tyree Wilson again flew under the radar in this game. He was most noticeable as he lost Lance in space on the edge near the goalline. Though he did assist DE Elerson Smith on a nice tackle on a shovel pass.

As it’s often said: this is just the preseason. But the Raiders need answers at quarterback and time is running out before the regular season. O’Connell looked better than Minshew in this game, but that’s not saying much.

It stands to reason that Pierce will hold off on naming a starter, but he may feel it’s too close to the regular season to leave his team in QB limbo and name a starter anyway.

Either way, this was not the performance the Raiders needed. The only thing left to do is have a good week of practice and try again in Week 3 of the preseason against the 49ers on Friday.

Raiders winners and losers in 24-23 preseason defeat vs. Vikings

The Raiders preseason kicked off on Saturday with a loss to the Vikings. Who stood out the most for Las Vegas?

After a successful training camp, the Raiders finally got to hit someone besides their teammates on Saturday during their preseason debut against the Vikings. Surprisingly, the Raiders offense started faster than a Las Vegas defense expected to carry the club in 2024.

Quarterbacks Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew both saw first-half action, and the offense didn’t punt until after halftime. The defense played well for the most part but allowed the Vikings to convert too many big plays.

Here are the winners and losers for the week after our first look at the 2024 Las Vegas Raiders.

Winner: CB Jakorian Bennett

Cornerback Jakorian Bennett took the field as a starter after earning that right in training camp. The Raiders are looking for someone to take charge opposite entrenched cornerback Jack Jones, and Bennett made a big play to save the Raiders’ starting defense on the Vikings’ initial drive.

Minnesota drove to the Las Vegas 4-yard line, even as starters, including defensive end Maxx Crosby, were in the game. On 4th-and-2, Bennett showed impressive ball skills on a pass breakup in the end zone. There’s a lot of preseason left, but Bennett made further strides toward remaining a Raiders starter at cornerback.

Winner: CB Jack Jones

As the Raiders defense dominated in training camp, Jones was perhaps the most impressive player for defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. Jones showed he’s ready to make plays against quarterbacks besides his own with a skillful interception early in the third quarter.

 

Jones played exceptionally well for Las Vegas last season. But his sample size as a professional is relatively small, and the Raiders defense needs him to perform at a high level this year. So far, so good.

Winner: WR DJ Turner

Though coach Antonio Pierce chose to play his starters in Minnesota, wide receiver Davante Adams was with his family to welcome his baby boy to the world. That left extra opportunity for the Raiders’ wide receiver room.

Wide receiver DJ Turner took advantage, hauling in a 20-yard touchdown from QB Gardner Minshew in the second quarter.

Turner had a strong camp and he backed it up at his first opportunity. The depth chart is far from set at wideout after Adams, WR Jakobi Meyers, and WR Tre Tucker; Turner continued his path toward earning a role for offensive coordinator Luke Getsy this season.

Winner: WR Tre Tucker

Though Tucker is slated to be one of Las Vegas’ top weapons this season, the speedster has had issues dropping the football. He needs to prove he can handle a large role, especially with Turner performing well.

His 44-yard grab on a toss from Minshew put his skills on full display and helped quiet any doubts he’s up to the task. It would be nice to see Tucker catch the ball with his hands more than with his body, but he got the job done in preseason Week 1.

Winner: OC Luke Getsy

Getsy was fired last season as the offensive coordinator for the Bears, and his offense struggled during Raiders training camp. For a Las Vegas team trying to turn a corner and make the playoffs, Getsy must show he’s capable of directing this Raiders offense.

With O’Connell at quarterback to start the game, the offense went on a long, impressive field-goal drive after Bennett’s pass breakup in the end zone. For Getsy and everyone involved with the offense, it was likely a breath of fresh air and proof that they’ve made progress with Getsy’s new scheme. The Raiders offense enjoyed success the entire first half and didn’t have to punt until backup Anthony Brown Jr. entered the game.

Winner: Offensive line

The Raiders were without two starters on the offensive line, but their group still blocked well enough for the offense to find much-needed success. Both Thayer Munford Jr. and rookie DJ Glaze played well at offensive tackle. That’s a big boost for a Raiders team that needs at least one of those young players to hold down the right tackle spot in 2024.

Winner: QB Gardner Minshew

Minshew didn’t start, but he entered the game in the second quarter as Pierce planned. He led four drives compared to just one drive for O’Connell, however, and finished with 117 yards on 6-for-12 passing and a touchdown throw. He also scrambled for a first down.

The Raiders quarterback competition is far from over, but Minshew made the most of his opportunity and lopsided drive count compared to O’Connell.

Loser: QB Aidan O’Connell

In a kinder, gentler world, O’Connell would join Minshew on the winner list. He looked great to start the game despite starting his first drive of 2024 on the Raiders’ 4-yard line.

But Minshew had a touchdown throw and multiple splash plays. O’Connell had a chance to throw a touchdown of his own in his only drive of the game, but he was sacked on a 3rd-and-goal play as backup lineman Andrus Peat was beaten on the edge.

The Raiders QB competition is just heating up though. O’Connell appears on my loser list today, but he could very well win the job as Raiders starting QB by preseason’s end.

Loser: WR Kristian Wilkerson

Raiders wide receivers behind Tucker and Turner on the depth chart had a golden opportunity on Saturday with Adams’ absence. None of them took advantage. But WR Kristian Wilkerson got the start, and he likely wants a do-over on his one catch of the day, a WR screen that lost one yard.

Watching live, it appeared that Wilkerson made one move too many rather than cutting upfield and getting available yardage. Making matters worse, the Raiders only needed a few yards to gain a first down.

Loser: S Jaydon Grant

Safety Jaydon Grant missed a tackle on open space on a 48-yard touchdown run by the Vikings in the second quarter. Linebacker Luke Masterson missed his assignment on the play, but Grant was the last line of defense and he missed badly on his tackle attempt.

Loser: CB MJ Devonshire

Rookie cornerback MJ Devonshire had a rough first go as an NFL defensive back. He let a Vikings receiver go right past him for a 45-yard score in the third quarter. In his defense, he didn’t get any help over the top from safety Chris Smith II.

Loser: S Trey Taylor/big play defense

The Raiders allowed another big play later in the third quarter on a blown coverage in the secondary. It appears that S Trey Taylor was the No. 1 culprit on this one, but I’ve handed the entire Raiders defense part of this entry on the loser list for allowing too many big plays and 452 yards overall.

It’s just one game, but this week told us a lot about this season’s Raiders squad. The defense looks strong but has some issues to clean up, and the offense looks much better when Maxx Crosby isn’t terrorizing them. But as we know, the NFL is a week-to-week business. They’ll have to prove themselves again against the Cowboys next weekend in Las Vegas.

WATCH: Gardner Minshew drives Raiders for touchdown on pretty throw to DJ Turner

WATCH: Gardner Minshew drives Raiders for touchdown on pretty throw to DJ Turner

Aidan O’Connell got the ball first and put on a show, leading the Raiders 83 yards down the field on 15 plays. But it would end with a field goal after a sack on third-and-goal.

The plan was for Gardner Minshew to play the second quarter. And when Jack Jones picked off Vikings QB JJ McCarthy, Minshew day began.

Minshew had a tough act to follow after O’Connell completed seven of nine passes for 76 yards.

The veteran Minshew had a long completion to Tre Tucker to get things started. Then he followed up a high incompletion for Kristian Wilkerson by tucking it and running for the first down.

Then he finished it off with a gorgeous pass to DJ Turner for the score.

Turner has been…turning some heads in camp and he showed why right there.

As for the QB competition, those two drives still put them pretty much neck-and-neck. Good to see it because of both playing well.