Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell fell on the sword over his team’s botched final play in Friday’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
O’Connell took all the blame for the dropped snap that cost the Raiders a chance at a game-winning field goal during the final seconds of Friday’s 19-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. The quarterback blamed himself for clapping too early, which is what prompted rookie center Jackson Powers-Johnson to snap the ball.
“There’s really no one to blame but myself,” O’Connell told reporters.
Powers-Johnson also took full responsibility for the play, blaming a miscommunication and pinning the entire loss on himself.
The Raiders were in position for a potential game-winning field goal when the miscommunication happened, and it cost Las Vegas the game when the Chiefs recovered the ensuing fumble (video here ). Any play that gets botched that badly rarely falls on one person. O’Connell was not ready for the snap, and one could certainly argue he should have been prepared for the possibility when he started clapping. It should also be noted that Raiders right guard Dylan Parham tapped Powers-Johnson and directed him to snap the ball, so he also deserves some share of the responsibility.
Ultimately, the Raiders looked like an inexperienced and poorly-coached outfit when it mattered most. That falls on everyone, not just O’Connell.
