Is Aidan O’Connell upending the Raiders’ NFL draft plans?

HENDERSON, Nev. — Aidan O’Connell has seen this film earlier than. The truth is, he starred in it.

So forgive the second-year quarterback if déjà vu has him feeling a sure means, as O’Connell and the Las Vegas Raiders (4-12) head into Sunday’s season finale towards the playoff-bound Los Angeles Chargers (10-6), who’re taking part in their finest soccer of the season.

Particularly with O’Connell’s environment friendly play primarily knocking the Raiders out of a draft slot that will have allowed them to pick out a quarterback of their selecting, with out having to commerce up.

Final yr, O’Connell threw eight landing passes with out an interception within the Raiders’ ultimate 4 video games; Las Vegas went 3-1 in that stretch.

Now, with the Raiders driving a season-best two-game successful streak, after they’d dropped 10 straight, O’Connell has two TDs with out a choose whereas finishing 60.3% of his passes in these wins, towards the Jacksonville Jaguars and New Orleans Saints.

Too little, too late?

“Sadly, we proceed to speak about that skid,” O’Connell stated Wednesday. “It was not supreme. … It is irritating, however on the similar time you attempt to benefit from the wins when you’ve got them and also you notice, as I proceed to say, how laborious it’s to win and simply attempt to transfer on after the win. Have fun after which get to the following sport and do it once more.”

Plus, it is the primary time this season the Raiders have gone two straight video games with out turning the ball over.

“It is clearly tangible proof, exhibiting how vital it’s,” O’Connell stated. “It isn’t distinctive to our staff. It is actually each staff, and I believe there in all probability is not a coach on the market at any stage that is not preaching concerning the turnover margin and defending the soccer.”

It is also what Raiders coach Antonio Pierce preached all through the offseason program, coaching camp and everything of the season.

Bittersweet may be one of the best ways to explain the Raiders’ current run of success, proper?

Once more, type of like the top of final season.

Going 5-4 down the stretch, together with 3-1 within the AFC West, with O’Connell on the helm, not solely helped Pierce get elevated from interim coach, it stored the Raiders out of prime place to draft a quarterback.

Six QBs have been chosen within the first 12 alternatives (Las Vegas picked at No. 13 and received fairly the comfort prize in tight finish Brock Bowers).

O’Connell was overwhelmed out by free agent signee Gardner Minshew, who inked a two-year, $25 million take care of $15 million assured, in a coaching camp battle.

However Minshew was alternately injured and ineffective earlier than struggling a season-ending damaged collarbone on Nov. 24.

O’Connell, too, went on injured reserve for 4 video games with a damaged thumb on his proper (passing) hand Oct. 20.

And after returning, he suffered what gave the impression to be a season-ending harm at Tampa Bay on Dec. 8, when he was carted off the sector whereas sporting an air forged on his left leg.

A bone bruise on his knee sidelined him for only one sport — Desmond Ridder began towards the Atlanta Falcons — and with O’Connell returning, and the protection stiffening up, the Raiders haven’t misplaced since.

“Return to the quarterback competitors within the spring and coaching camp,” Pierce stated. “I assumed he dealt with it like a professional. He was at all times able to go.

“He is only a resilient participant. It is type of like what we noticed final yr — the extra reps he will get, the extra alternatives he will get, he makes essentially the most out of them. And like I stated, at any time when he protects the soccer, he places us all in a greater place.”

As a rookie, O’Connell began 10 of the 11 video games wherein he performed, going 5-5 because the starter. He handed for two,218 yards whereas finishing 62.1% of his passes with 12 touchdowns and 7 interceptions for a passer score of 83.9, a QBR of 40.5.

This season, he has began six of the eight video games he appeared in, going 2-4, whereas passing for 1,398 yards and finishing 62.2% of his throws with six touchdowns and three interceptions. He has a passer score of 85.4 and a QBR of fifty.6.

Hollywood will let you know only a few sequels are pretty much as good as the unique, particularly if the storylines are so comparable.

And but, Pierce was succinct when requested if O’Connell had proven him sufficient this season that he could be comfy transferring into subsequent season with him as his beginning quarterback.

“Yeah,” Pierce stated, “I believe Aidan O’Connell could be a beginning NFL quarterback.”

It will likely be one of many extra urgent points for the Raiders this offseason: Do they attempt to transfer up within the draft to seek out that elusive, younger, franchise-type QB? Or do they merely roll with O’Connell and construct round him?

It is the identical dilemma Las Vegas discovered itself in final offseason, when the prevailing narrative was Jayden Daniels or bust.

As a result of two weeks in the past, the Raiders had the within observe on the No. 1 choose. Shedeur Sanders, anybody? Cam Ward to the Silver and Black courtesy cellphone?

O’Connell now has Las Vegas projected to have the No. 9 choose. And even when new Raiders minority proprietor Tom Brady, who already has a well-established relationship with Sanders, has the juice within the group to decree a transfer up within the draft, it will likely be costly.

And O’Connell, from a sure perspective, helped drive that worth up.

“It is the top of my second yr now and so I have not been round for too lengthy, however undoubtedly any reps you will get — I discuss it quite a bit — having the ability to even financial institution these all through the week, I believe are tremendous worthwhile,” O’Connell stated.

“After which any sport expertise I can get is tremendous worthwhile. So I am attempting to make the most of each rep, each scenario and study from them. Success, failure, put them within the financial institution and simply attempt to develop.”