To say the offense has been in a slump over the last few months is a bit of an understatement. And Week 14 was just more of the same. The Raiders have scored over 19 points (on offense) in just one game this season and the unit has been trending downward for some time.
Against the Vikings, the Raiders did not score a single point. Frankly, they weren’t even close to scoring either. There are a lot of reasons why the offense struggled, but the biggest issue is the quarterback.
In a recent article by Tashan Reed by The Athletic, he wrote about the offense of the Raiders and their rookie quarterback. Here is one of the conclusions that he made about Aidan O’Connell after a decent sample size:
After six starts, it’s becoming clear O’Connell likely isn’t the long-term answer at quarterback. He’s accurate, tough and smart, but he’s limited physically, has struggled to navigate pressure and puts the ball in harm’s way far too often. He completed 65.6 percent of his passes against the Vikings, but that rendered just 171 yards and a game-sealing interception in the fourth quarter.
The Raiders spent a fourth-round pick on O’Connell and he was forced into action sooner than anticipated. There is still a lot of hope that he can develop into a high-end backup, but there is little doubt that he will be anything more.
There are four games left in the 2023 season. And then, the Raiders will be back in the quarterback market once again.
