The Las Vegas Raiders suffered a brutal 34-19 loss on Sunday at the hands of the Miami Dolphins. After this game, the Raiders have now lost six games in a row after a surprising 2-8 start and their playoff dreams are officially dashed.
Despite the long losing streak, the Raiders are sticking with Gardner Minshew as their starting quarterback heading into an AFC West clash with the Denver Broncos in Week 12, according to ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez.
“Gardner Minshew will be Raiders starting QB vs Broncos this week, per coach Antonio Pierce,” Gutierrez reported on X, formerly Twitter. “FWIW, Aidan O’Connell (broken right thumb) is not eligible to come off IR until next week.”
The Raiders have gone with Minshew at quarterback ever since he returned from his injury that he suffered against the Cincinnati Bengals, when Desmond Ridder came in the game in relief. Minshew replaced O’Connell after the Purdue product broke his thumb and was placed on injured reserve. It remains to be seen whether O’Connell will get the job back when he returns, but Minshew is the guy for now.
Minshew had a decent day in a loss to the Dolphins where the defense was the main problem. He finished 30-for-43 with 282 yards and two touchdowns with one interception while the defense allowed 34 points in the loss. Minshew is building a strong chemistry with rookie tight end Brock Bowers, who is having one of the best rookie tight end seasons ever. On Sunday, Bowers caught 13 balls for 126 yards and a touchdown.
Raiders in development mode as season slips away
The Raiders can officially shift their priorities away from making the playoffs after losing six games in a row. Now, they can focus on building for the future (if they weren’t already) and developing some of their young players who have a chance to be stars in the future.
The best piece they have as of now is tight end Brock Bowers. Bowers is already one of the best tight ends in the league and is the centerpiece of the Raiders’ passing game, which not very many tight ends in the league are capable of doing.
The ways that Bowers is getting himself involved in the offense is arguably the most impressive part of his skillset. He has been extremely versatile all season; he can create plays after the catch, get open over the middle or line up on the outside and attack a mismatch with his physicality. Those multiple skillsets are what allows Bowers to get 16 targets in a game and bring in 13 of them like he did on Sunday.
Now, the Raiders can continue that momentum with Bowers going forward as they try to build a functional offense around him. Building this foundation with the former Georgia star at the center of it would be a great sign heading into an offseason where finding a new quarterback will be at the top of the priority list.
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