The Las Vegas Raiders have fallen off a cliff after a 2-2 start to begin the season, losing five straight games entering this weekend’s game against the Miami Dolphins. The Raiders fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsey following Week 9’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals but will come out of the bye with Gardner Minshew calling the shots at quarterback.
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“I felt like Gardner gives us the best opportunity to move forward and he has every opportunity to go out there and help us get to a win,” Raiders coach Antonio Pierce told reporters on Wednesday.
Minshew has led Las Vegas to a 2-5 record over his seven starts this season. He’s completing 67% of passes while throwing just six touchdowns compared to eight interceptions—the Raiders average just under 19 points per game, with the team exceeding 20 points just twice.
“When we brought in Gardner, we expected, obviously, the play that we had seen in the past and at some point, you’ve got to give a guy confidence,” Pierce said. “And there’s been times, obviously, with turnovers and other things that have taken place, where we made decisions to either put him on the bench or go to another quarterback.”
Aidan O’Connell started two games this season, completing 63% of passes and averaging 5.5 yards per attempt. He threw for 455 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions before landing on injured reserve because of a thumb injury.
Desmond Ridder, originally drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 2022, appeared for the Raiders during their 41-24 loss to the Bengals. He completed 11 of 16 attempts and a touchdown in his only appearance this season.
Considering the coaching staff shakeup — which included naming Scott Turner interim offensive coordinator and former Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin interim offensive line coach — along with bringing in former head coach Norv Turner as a senior assistant, the decision to start the more experienced quarterback gives the Raiders their best chance to snap their losing streak.
The Dolphins found their second wind on Monday Night Football against the Los Angeles Rams. The 23-15 win kept Miami’s playoff hopes alive, and the Raiders are traveling cross-country and contending with turmoil on offense — this is an opportunity the Dolphins must take advantage of.
