Tag: Las Vegas Raiders vs Pittsburgh Steelers final score

Report: Gardner Minshew, Aidan O’Connell to compete for Raiders QB job entering Week 6

Entering week six of the season and the Raiders QB competition is right back to where it was in training camp.

Five games into the 2024 season and the Raiders are back where they were going into training camp — with a competition at quarterback. In lieu of naming a starter heading into the week of practices, the Raiders will hold an open competition between O’Connell and Minshew according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic.

Midway through the third quarter of Sunday’s game in Denver, Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce pulled Gardner Minshew and replaced him with Aidan O’Connell.

Minshew started the game out well, leading the Raiders to two scores, but two interceptions — one of which was a pick six — led to Pierce pulling the plug and putting in O’Connell.

The second-year former starter didn’t do much upon entering the game that would suggest he was the better option. He too threw an interception and only scored after the game was well out of reach and the Broncos defense was just playing out the clock.

Minshew hasn’t done much to cement himself as the starter, though the offense as a whole has struggled in many areas, namely with the zone blocking scheme and the running game has struggled as a result.

Up until recently, some of the issues were seen as a result of the team not picking a starter earlier, therefore causing a delay in team chemistry. This renewed competition would only figure to take the team back to square one in that department, but for a team desperately seeking answers, they don’t have a lot to lose.

The Raiders face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Las Vegas this Sunday.

Raiders vs Steelers final score: Steelers win 23-18 to spoil Raiders home opener

Steelers win 23-18 to spoil Raiders home opener

 This game started out pretty much as we expected. With both teams going three-and-out. The Steelers had two of them to get things started. Then it really got interesting.

On the Raiders’ second possession of the game, they got things moving. Eventually they found themselves in fourth and inches from the Pittsburgh 32-yard-line. They lined up like they were going to try and punch it up the gut, but opted for the play action fake, hitting Davante Adams for the touchdown instead.

In a game where scoring seemed like it would be at a premium, that touchdown seemed like it would loom large. But three plays later, the Steelers answered back in a big way. Calvin Austin III broke open deep and Kenny Pickett launched one for him and 72 yards later, the Steelers had tied it up.

From there it was back to some defensive football. TJ Watt got around Jermaine Eluemunor to sack Garoppolo and help force a Raiders punt. Then Maxx Crosby returned the favor with a sack to force a punt.

When the Raiders got the ball back, they moved into Pittsburgh territory only to turn it over. A Jimmy G pass over the middle for Michael Mayer was picked off by Levi Wallace to give the Steelers the ball back.

They took advantage of the turnover, driving into Vegas territory. On third and short, Pickett snuck it up the middle for the first down on third and one. Then Maxx Crosby grabbed a Steeler player’s leg and pulled him off the pile and was slapped with a 15-yard personal foul penalty. The Raiders would ultimately make the stop on the drive, but the penalty would put the Steelers in field goal range and they took a 10-7 lead.

The Steelers would add another field goal late in the second quarter to extend the lead to 13-7. Then they would add another field goal in the third quarter to make it a 16-7 game.

Now a two-score game, the Raiders needed to get something going. Instead JImmy Garoppolo threw another interception and the Steelers took the ball and mounted their best drive of the game, ending with a touchdown pass from Kenny Pickett to tight end Pat Freiermuth for the touchdown. 

With under four minutes left in the third quarter, and a 23-7 Steelers lead, the game was officially out of hand.

The Raiders would make it interesting late, driving for a touchdown, again to Davante Adams. Down 16, they went for two. A questionable pass interference on Minkah Fitzpatrick gave the Raiders two shots at it. On the second attempt, the Steelers sold out on the run, leaving tight end Michael Mayer wide open for the score. 

A defensive stop would give the Raiders the ball back with 4:35 left. Then a big return by DeAndre Carter started that drive near midfield. They would drive to the eight-yard-line, but curiously opt to kick a field goal rather than go for it on fourth and four.

The Steelers would get one first down, taking ore than two minutes off the clock. With 12 seconds left and 85 yards to go, Jimmy G threw an interception to end the game.

Steelers come into Allegiant and take down the Raiders 23-18.