When asked specifically whether Minshew, who was signed during the offseason and beat out the incumbent O’Connell in the summer, was still Las Vegas’ quarterback, Pierce was noncommittal.
“I think we need to sit down with the players first and evaluate everything from yesterday,” said the Raiders coach.
In his third game as the Raiders starter, Minshew was 18 of 28 passing for 214 yards, one touchdown and one interception in 11 drives, five of which resulted in zero first downs. The sixth-year quarterback was replaced by O’Connell with 4:47 left and Las Vegas trailing 36-15. With the game all but over, O’Connell led Las Vegas to a 3:51 touchdown drive in which he completed nine of 12 passes for 82 yards and the touchdown to Tre Tucker.
This season, Minshew has completed 73 of 99 passes (a career-high 73.7 percent) for 747 yards, three scores and three interceptions. It was just a week ago that he led the Raiders to their first win of the season in a thrilling comeback against Baltimore.
But after a disappointing loss to a previously miserable Panthers team in which he said his players made “business decisions” – a statement he did not back down from on Monday – Pierce is apparently considering all options at every position, including the most important of the game, to restore momentum to his 1-2 team.
“That’s football,” Pierce said on Monday. “After a loss like that, things have to change.”
